An Unwanted Engagement
by LilLamb24
Summary: Darcy reluctantly becomes engaged to Caroline prior to joining Charles at Netherfield.  Can he face a lifetime in a loveless marriage when he finally meets the woman of his dreams?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue – Herefordshire Nov 1798

The weather turned cold as the carriage rocked its way towards Town. The hope of an extended autumn drifted away with each gale of biting wind. This change did not affect Darcy; in fact, he felt that this was more fitting given that all hope of future happiness was gone from his life. A future devoid of love…how can he bear to live without her?

Chapter 1 – London, Darcy House, August 1798

Darcy sat in his study with a distant look upon his face. What could be done to assist Georgiana? Her spirits had been down since her return and, although he would attempt to draw her out with a night at the theatre or a day filled with shopping, she inevitably slipped back into her shell. It was as though a shadow had been cast over her that could not be shaken. Even now, as she sat in the drawing room with Caroline Bingley, barely a smile could be seen. Darcy felt that Caroline, with her strong personality and knowledge of the Ton, might help provide Georgiana with a bit of confidence. Unfortunately, Georgiana seemed to sink under the weight of her insecurities whenever her friends came to call. Perhaps Richard would be able to provide some suggestions? As Georgiana's co-guardian, Richard loved her completely and would want to know if she was making progress after the disaster at Ramsgate. Yes, he would write a letter to Richard and explain the situation and ask for advice.

Darcy was interrupted from completing his letter by an insistent knock upon his study door.

"Enter", he said and immediately his housekeeper stepped in to explain that the groundskeeper had completed the additions to the courtyard. The new fountain had been delivered and the delivery company was waiting for Darcy's approval before leaving. Darcy left at once; the abandoned letter could be completed when he returned.

Georgiana was going to be sick. Although she appreciated the effort that Caroline put forth to further their friendship, the tall opinionated redhead terrified her. Was no one safe from her censure? Caroline covered any and all gossip she acquired since their last meeting within the first 15 minutes of calling. The remaining time was spent giving her own insights and opinions on each juicy morsel of gossip. The poor creatures being discussed were more often than not supposed 'friends' of Caroline's. Georgiana was not so naïve as to believe that she would be excluded from Caroline's discussion on her next call. With every nasty comment that Caroline made regarding someone's small lapse of judgment or even silly action, Georgiana could not help but feel the weight of her own downfall. How lucky she was that her dear brother arrived in time! She must be even more aware of her conduct now to do nothing further that might bring shame upon her family name. _What would become of Fitzwilliam if her downfall were discovered? _This thought brought her back to the present conversation and the expectant look upon Caroline's face.

'Well, Georgiana dear, what did you think?'

'Oh, I beg your pardon Miss Bingley, could you repeat your question?'

'Of course, I was just asking your thoughts on the book that I loaned you.'

'Ah yes, I found it quite enjoyable. In fact, I am ready to return it to you now. I believe it is either in my bedchamber or the study. If you would excuse me a moment, I will check my room for it now. Unfortunately, my brother is working in the study and I would rather not interrupt him at this time. Pardon me.'

_Ah, so Mr. Darcy is hard at work in the study?_ Caroline thought. _This is the perfect opportunity to see him again. Certainly he would welcome the distraction of a beautiful woman_. She had been working towards one goal since she met the illustrious master of Pemberly 10 years ago…to become his wife. Given the friendship between her brother Charles and Mr. Darcy, they were already thrown into each other's company continually. He was a single gentleman of wealth and she was a single woman with a large dowry. What was he waiting for?

Caroline approached the study with a smile gracing her face. After a tentative unanswered knock upon the door, she slipped quietly into the room. It was empty. What a wasted opportunity! She turned a critical eye to survey the room. There would be a great many changes made to the house when she was its mistress. As she strolled past the desk, an open letter caught her eye. _Hmmm, it doesn't appear to be a letter of business_. A quick glance couldn't hurt and might provide some information to further ingratiate herself with the writer. However, as she perused this private missile, a look of shock crossed her face. _What! Ramsgate debacle…Georgiana…Wickham…elopement! _As she processed what she just read, Caroline realized that this information would prove not just helpful but the key to obtaining her long-awaited prize! The smile that she wore as she returned to the drawing room was one of pure victory. Her only thought was '_He will be mine_.'


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I want to give a big thank you to those who have reviewed and are following my story. This is my first attempt at writing fan fiction and your comments are wonderful encouragement!

Chapter 2

Darcy's best friend, Charles Bingley, had requested his assistance in reviewing the lease contract for the property Bingley had decided upon. Charles relied upon Darcy due to his superior knowledge in estate management. Theirs was a unique friendship; a mix of brother-like camaraderie but there was a distinct hint of hero-worship that developed back in their school days. As the elder classman, Darcy looked after Charles just as Darcy's cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam looked after him. Charles' jovial personality tempered Darcy's introverted ways.

Darcy always enjoyed spending the day with his light-hearted friend and looked forward to the distraction today since he had still been concerned with Georgiana's low spirits. She was spending the day with their aunt, Lady Matlock, so she would be well entertained.

"Ah Darcy, thank you so much for coming to my aid today. I'm afraid I have yet to develop your level of understanding in regards to estate contracts. Many thanks old chap" The relief and gratitude were apparent on Charles' face.

"Charles, think of it no more. I am only too pleased to assist."

"Now, we must join my sisters in the drawing room before they send the Bow Street runners after us! Caroline specifically requested that you join us for dinner and I hope that you will not disappoint us."

"Of course, Charles. Thank you for the invitation."

Although Bingley's sisters were everything that was amiable and pleasing during social functions, Darcy was cautious around them. Louisa was the eldest of the three siblings and was recently married to a man of great fashion yet small fortune. Mr. Hurst was respectable enough though his interests solely included fine dining, hunting and Louisa…in that order. The few conversations that Darcy had had with Louisa Hurst proved to him that she was somewhat vapid but harmless.

Caroline Bingley, as the middle sibling, showed little resemblance to her brother other than sharing the color of their hair. For several years, he had realized that she was hoping for a great match for both herself as well as Charles in order to further their family's social status. She was a beautiful woman and had a definite strength about her. This was most likely due to the difficulties she had to endure during her days at school. The Bingley family's fortune was made through trade and her classmates must have constantly reminded Caroline of this fact. Daughters of the Ton would have been cruel, even though Caroline's dowry of 30,000 pounds would have been double that of the average wealthy gentleman's daughter. However, even though Darcy could admire this strength in Caroline, he found that he was not attracted to her. There was a certain harshness that hovered just below the surface that put him off. Regardless, he was always cordial and friendly to both of Bingley's sisters but did nothing to give Caroline the impression that her ambitions would be fulfilled through him.

"Mr. Darcy! You have joined us at last!" Caroline stood from her position at the pianoforte to greet her brother and his friend.

"Yes, Caroline, I told you that Darcy and I would join you as soon as we concluded our business. I am happy to report that I have signed the contract and give you leave to begin preparations for our removal to Hertfordshire," Charles exclaimed.

"Mr. Darcy, I was hoping that you would be able to persuade my brother to a finer estate farther north. We do so admire Pemberley and I'm sure that there would be an estate in Derbyshire much more suited to our tastes."

Before Caroline could continue with her effusions on the greatness of Pemberly, Charles cut in.

"Alas Caroline, Netherfield Hall is in Hertfordshire so to Hertfordshire we must go. I refuse to be anything less than joyful over this move. I am sure, my sister, that once you are able to play hostess to the surrounding families and order the estate to your liking, you will be as pleased as I am."

"Yes, yes, Charles, I'm sure that we will be perfectly content and never lack for employment. Once the mothers in the area hear of your arrival, there is sure to be a line of accomplished young women waiting to call upon me. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm."

Caroline glanced in Darcy's direction smirking as if he would appreciate her humor. In truth, he felt that her comments were in poor taste even if he agreed with her. She would do well to support her brother's decisions and be proud that they would soon be joining the ranks of landed gentry.

Dinner was soon served and Charles' excitement did seem to extend to his sisters. Caroline especially seemed pleased and was more talkative than usual with Darcy. He was very happy for Charles and hoped that this new responsibility might help him establish himself among the Ton but also reinforce to his sisters that he was head of the family. After dinner, they adjourned to the drawing room and further discussion was had regarding their removal to Netherfield.

"I hope that you are able to join us Darcy. It will be a pleasure for me to finally repay your hospitality after all of our stays at Pemberly. Georgiana is, of course, also welcome."

"I believe I may take you up on your offer Charles; however, Georgiana must remain in London to continue her studies. Thank you."

Caroline and Louisa entertained them by taking turns displaying their skills on the pianoforte. Darcy had the distinct feeling that Caroline was trying to gain his attention privately. He knew this to be true when she refilled his coffee while Louisa continued to play.

"Mr. Darcy, I must speak to you of a private matter of great importance." Caroline whispered as she poured the coffee.

"Miss Bingley, there could be no matter that may not be discussed within the hearing of your brother. I would be happy to assist if I may. Perhaps we could suggest to Charles that we step out briefly to converse?"

"No, Mr. Darcy, I'm afraid that this is a matter that Charles cannot be privy to nor any other member of my family. "

"I am sorry to disappoint Miss Bingley but I believe that you had best allow your brother to hold your confidences, not I."

"Mr. Darcy, this urgent matter is regarding some very damaging information that I've obtained involving your sister Georgiana."

Darcy paled as he stared back at Caroline. The look upon her face was feigned innocence yet there seemed to be a certain level of satisfaction there as well. What could she mean by this? Had his worse fears come true? Did Wickham truly hold no value to his life and bandy about the story of his failed elopement?

"I see that you understand the need for privacy now. Could you perhaps join me for a ride in Hyde Park tomorrow? I'm sure that Louisa would join us for propriety's sake but she will allow us to converse in private"

It took several moments before Darcy could respond. He was barely able to mutter, "Yes, I will call for you in the morning" before quickly making his apologies to the room and returning home. That night, his heart was heavy and panic set in. What a dreadful night he would have in suspense. His sister's reputation could possibly be destroyed but he would not know for certain until Miss Bingley divulged what she knew and who had told her. Thankfully, it was a friend who had obtained this information for it would be dreadful indeed if this tale fell into the wrong hands.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you again for all of the reviews! I love to hear your thoughts and comments on the story so don't be shy. This is a short chapter but I will have another chapter coming later this week. We need to get through this unpleasantness before we are off to Hertfordshire! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

The next morning finally arrived and found Darcy escorting Caroline & Louisa through Hyde Park.

"Perhaps we can take a stroll around the lake now?" Caroline said. Darcy noticed a look pass between the sisters and then Louisa responded, "I'm a bit fatigued. I believe that I'll rest on this bench and wait for you."

Caroline wasted no time to bring up the topic that Darcy was anxiously awaiting to discuss.

"Mr. Darcy, I believe that we must discuss this awful business regarding dear Georgiana."

"Yes, Miss Bingley, I am eager to understand what you have heard of my sister?"

"Well, Mr. Darcy, I have learned from a most reliable source that there was an attempted elopement between your sister and the son of your father's steward. A Mr. Wickham, I believe."

Darcy felt as if he had been punched. So, the affair had indeed been leaked out. But how? Perhaps there was still a possibility of hushing this business up. He must act quickly.

"And, if I may be so bold to ask, who is this very 'reliable source' of yours Miss Bingley? I must contact them at once to attempt to squash this gossip before it spreads any further!"

"I am sure Mr. Darcy that we will be able to salvage Georgiana's reputation."

The desperation was taking over and Darcy interrupted her, "Who is it? Whom did you learn this information from?"

"Why, by your own hand, Mr. Darcy."

Caroline could see the shock and confusion in Darcy's face so she explained.

"While calling on your sister earlier this week, I inadvertently read a letter upon your desk. It was very informative."

"But…but, if this is the case, I do not understand? There is no danger of this leaking out to the Ton. I would rather that you were not privy to my sister's private affairs, and I certainly do not condone you reading my personal correspondence, however, this greatly eases my anxiety. We shall just agree to never discuss this unpleasant subject again."

Caroline stopped their movement at this point and looked him in the eye.

"I'm afraid that we cannot close this subject just yet. I may not be capable of keeping this dreadful news to myself without proper inducement to do so."

Darcy stared at her in disbelief. Certainly a woman of her standing in society could not be hoping to capitalize on the misfortune of another! A young woman who she calls friend! As he looked at her, he knew it to be true. All traces of affability and loveliness were replaced by a look of sheer power and ambition.

"An what type of 'inducement' would you require Madam?"

"A most agreeable arrangement Mr. Darcy, I assure you. I believe that Georgiana would benefit greatly by the influence of a woman. Someone who could help her overcome this foolishness and help her prepare to enter into society with the poise and grace fitting her station in life."

"I agree Miss Bingley. Truly, that is the reason that I have encouraged her visits with you as well as her aunts and cousins. What more could you hope to do?"

"No, no, Mr. Darcy, you misunderstand me."

A feeling of foreboding came over Darcy. He finally asked, "You are already her friend, Miss Bingley, and she has a capable companion in Mrs. Annesley. In what capacity could you further benefit her?"

"As your wife, sir."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for all of the lovely reviews and hatefulness towards Caroline! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Let me know what you think!**

Chapter 4

This is insupportable! It is too much and yet I must accept my fate. For the sake of Georgiana, I would do anything…even marry the devil.

It had been a week since that fateful talk in Hyde Park. Once Caroline had made it clear what her demands were, Darcy was forced to acquiesce and; although a week had past, he was still walking in a fog. He was shocked by how much thought and planning the spiteful woman had put into his entrapment. He had expected her to want him to procure the license immediately for a lavish affair; however, his lovely fiancé (_shutter_) had surprised him by stating that the engagement would not be made public until the end of the next season. Although he was thankful for the additional time to come to terms with this situation, he questioned her reasoning for the delay. Her response gave him a glimpse into the true nature of the woman who he would call wife.

"Mr. Darcy, I have not waited this long for my prize to not enjoy the full experience of success. I want you to openly seek my approval throughout the season so that all of those horrid women who have doubted me will know that I am not to be outdone. As the season progresses and we are seen dancing together, conversing intimately in drawing rooms, even taking regular rides in this very park…why, the poor wretches will be green with envy. How could I possibly give up that pleasure when it can be mine merely by delaying the inevitable by a few months time. No, no, our engagement should be announced at the end of the season and then I will need several months to properly prepare our spectacular wedding."

Caroline had a dreamy look in her eyes at the end of this pretty speech. Darcy was thoroughly disgusted with her. It was decided that even their siblings would remain in the dark. Caroline felt that Charles would not be as shocked by the engagement once he observed Darcy's 'doting' behavior towards her.

Plans were soon made between Charles and Darcy that they would depart for Netherfield in three days time. Surprisingly, Bingley's sisters stated that they could not possibly join the gentlemen at this time because of an excessive amount of shopping they must do prior to the start of the season. Charles was confused by their decision since, Caroline especially, had been so excited to take over her own household. Darcy was not as surprised by this sudden need for the highest fashion since Caroline was planning to be seen everywhere this year to show off her great prize horse…himself.

Once Darcy was assured of Georgiana's comfort remaining with their aunt while he was away, he set out with Charles for the wilds of Hertfordshire. He hoped that he might enjoy this time away with his friend and forget the great weight of his impending nuptials to a woman he was beginning to loathe. Perhaps there would be sufficient diversion to be had in the country to bring him out of the melancholy that currently surrounded him.

_Meanwhile in Hertfordshire_

Elizabeth Bennet was looking for gypsies. Weren't gypsies supposed to be lurking behind every tree or bend in an abandoned path? At least, that is what all young ladies were told as children to keep them from traveling said treacherous paths. Her mother's incessant badgering was driving her to distraction and she was desperate for a way out…even if that way was to join a band of gypsies drifting across the countryside. She could still hear her mother's screeching in her ears when she closed her eyes.

"LIZZY! LIZZY! What are you about? Gallivanting in the woods whilst there is work to be done. I have it on good authority that the gentlemen are to arrive at Netherfield this week and you are wasting precious time. Do you think that a gentleman will give you a second glance after seeing mud upon your hem and your hair in disarray after you have run about? Why can't you be helpful like Jane? She has already completed the alterations I ask for on her blue dress and is now assisting dear Lydia in trimming a new bonnet for the assembly."

And on and on and on it went. Lizzy loved her mother but she truly could not tolerate her for long lengths of time. Ever since news of Netherfield being let to a gentleman…a very single gentleman…had reached the ears of Mrs. Bennet, her daughters had been ordered about to make all necessary adjustments to increase their chances of catching the unknown gentleman as their husband. This may seem extreme; however, with 5 unmarried daughters and no son to inherit the estate, Mrs. Bennet had a right to do anything possible to secure their future. Although Lizzy understood that her mother's pushiness stemmed from love, it did not stop her from wishing that Mrs. Bennet were a bit more tactful and composed when it came to her matchmaking attempts.

Jane, as the eldest and most beautiful daughter, was their mother's favorite. Mrs. Bennet had long since felt that Jane was the key to attracting wealthy suitors for all of her daughters. Certainly with Jane's beauty, she would win the hand of a gentleman of great wealth. And, of course, once her own status had improved with marriage then Jane could procure wealthy husbands for all of her sisters. Jane was Lizzy's best friend and confidant. They shared not only a bedroom, but their hopes & dreams for the future. Jane had such a sweet, unassuming nature and was so ready to please others that it was impossible not to love her.

Lizzy was the second eldest and opposite of Jane in almost every way. Where Jane was fair, Lizzy was dark. Jane was mild mannered and quiet but Lizzy was passionate and out-spoken. Jane was their mother's favorite while Lizzy was their father's favorite.

Mary, poor Mary, was the over-looked middle sister and fit the part in every way. Bookish and plain, Mary was a sweet girl who was unfortunately in the shadow of her sisters. She tried to appear unaffected by her sisters' popularity by instead focusing on her assumed greater intellect and exhibiting her interest in the pianoforte. The result could be unpleasant at times since her skills did not quite match her perception of them.

Catherine, or Kitty, was a pretty girl with low self-esteem. She attached herself to her younger sister hoping to emulate Lydia's vivacity. Ah, Lydia. As the youngest, she was the darling of family. Doted on by all within the household and especially catered to by their mother since she was her last child. Now that she had reached the age of 15 it was obvious to Lizzy that they had created a monster. Lydia was fun loving and boisterous to a fault but since she had been left unchecked for most of her life, it seemed that nothing could curtail her wild ways.

These were the Bennet sisters as Lizzy saw them and, regardless of their shortcomings, she loved her family dearly. But as she approached her home, Longbourn, and heard even more of her mother's admonitions on how to catch a husband ringing through the halls, she decided to turn around and spend another half hour searching for those infamous gypsies.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pride & Prejudice. No copywrite infringement intended.**

Chapter 5

Hertfordshire was surprisingly beautiful. Darcy was so fond of his home in the North that he had held no high expectations for the area surrounding Netherfield; however, after arriving two days ago, he found he was eager to explore. The day was sunny and warm and his solitary ride allowed for much needed peace of mind. He was not riding long when his path opened to a lovely meadow. He slowed his horse to a walk and lifted his face to the sky, soaking in the sunshine.

Darcy had thought of nothing but his impending engagement since his discussion with Caroline. His outrage at her audacity was so great that his initial reaction was to come up with a plan to ruin her beyond repair. Certainly with his money and connections it could be easily done. Unfortunately, Bingley would be affected by such actions and he was only now gaining entry into higher circles. He couldn't do that to such a wonderful, loyal friend. There was also the fact that Caroline would not go down without a fight. He was certain that she would have no scruples against revealing the failed elopement and ruining Georgiana in retaliation.

Then, as the days passed and he thought upon the matter more, he realized that the situation could be much worse. For while he despised Caroline's underhandedness and manipulation, many women (or their mothers) employed similar arts & allurements to capture a husband. He knew of several acquaintances that were forced to marry beneath them due to being caught in an improper situation. Funny how it was normally the young woman's relative who happened upon the couple. Why, his friend, Mr. Maxwell, married a young woman with no dowry to speak of last year due to such a circumstance.

Caroline was refined and proper in company. Darcy's relatives may balk at the fact that her family was only now becoming landed gentry but her substantial dowry should help alleviate any reservations. Of course, it would be difficult for him to tolerate her company but most couples in his circle led separate lives. Why should his marriage be any different?

So, today, he would attempt to calm his mind and enjoy this beautiful weather. If any images of his parents laughing together while they strolled in a similar meadow at Pemberly crossed his mind, he would quickly dismiss it. Not everyone could be so blessed to have true love in marriage. He would accept his fate and make the best of this situation.

Elizabeth quickly hid behind a large tree. She had been walking to the meadow to gather some flowers when she saw that an unknown gentleman already occupied it. He was tall with dark hair that appeared to be difficult to tame. His clothing was that of a wealthy gentleman and he had a very fine horse as well. This must be Mr. Bingley. Even at this distance, it was plain to see that he was a handsome man. As she watched him stroll, she saw a multitude of emotions pass his face. She did not wish to interrupt his solitude so she stole away to return home and share this new information with Jane.

_Later that week_

Why must Bingley be so insistently agreeable? We had barely been in Hertfordshire one week and he had already agreed to attend the assembly dance of the small town of Meryton.

"Come now, Darcy, you would think you are attending a funeral instead of a dance with that depressed look upon your face. Let us enjoy this time. We have met so many amiable gentlemen this week. I can only believe that they have equally good-natured daughters!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure that the town will be brimming with 'good-natured' daughters tonight Bingley. But you know that I am uneasy among strangers. Tonight will be a torture to me."

"Good lord man, such nonsense! Torture? To meet lovely young women and stand up with them for a few dances? I cannot follow your way of thinking Darce. However, you will not have my sisters to hide behind tonight. Since there are no ladies in our party it will be expected that you dance with at least some of the young women. I hope you will not heap such censure upon my shoulders so early in my establishment here by slighting the local beauties!"

Charles smiled broadly after this statement, knowing that Darcy would do what was expected and participate in a few dances. He did not understand his friend's aversion at all. What could be better than meeting & dancing with lovely women? He was secretly relieved that his sisters had not yet arrived. Darcy used them as a shield too often in social settings and he did not realize how often Caroline took this as encouragement. His unmarried sister would not be deterred from her quest for Darcy no matter how many times Charles tried to gently dissuade her.

They arrived just after the dance began and were immediately approached by Sir William Lucas, who had invited them to the assembly earlier in the week. Sir William introduced his wife, Lady Lucas, and his daughter, Charlotte. As they exchanged pleasantries, Darcy was distracted the stares and smiles focused on them. He began to slip into his mask of indifference like he always did in situations such as this. He suddenly stopped himself and changed his mind. Bingley was right. He needed to change his attitude and enjoy the evening. After all, he would shortly be engaged and would have few opportunities to enjoy an event like this without having Caroline by his side. Yes, he would do his best to be pleasant & affable to those he met even if they were all below his station in life.

Sir William Lucas and his daughter walked the gentlemen over to one of the more prominent families of the area, the Bennet's. Darcy recalled meeting Mr. Bennet when he called on Bingley earlier this week. He seemed an intelligent man. He was currently introducing his wife & two of his daughters to Bingley.

"It is very nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. I hope that you are enjoying your time here so far?" said Mrs. Bennet.

"Yes, thank you, we are indeed. I have been working with my steward most of this week, but Darcy has been able to explore the area a bit." As Bingley said this, all eyes turned to Darcy. He cleared his throat and forced a smile to his face.

"I found the surrounding area very fine." He hoped that sufficed as a response.

Mrs. Bennet immediately brought the attention back to Mr. Bingley.

"There are many beautiful vistas to be found here. My daughters are very familiar with the area and I'm sure that we could form a walking party one day once you have time available."

"What a splendid idea Mrs. Bennet. We would be most appreciative. Miss Bennet, are you a great walker then?"

Darcy could already see that Charles had set his sights on the fair-haired eldest Bennet daughter. She was attractive in the classical sense of the word but a bit too serene for his taste.

"No sir, not a great walker; however, I do enjoy venturing out now and again. I mainly accompany Lizzy since she goes out nearly every day. She is the avid walker of our family."

Darcy finally glanced at the second eldest daughter. She certainly was not as attractive as her elder sister; however, she seemed very pleasant as she continued the conversation with her sister & Bingley. Suddenly she glanced up at Darcy and caught him staring. He quickly looked away but not before acknowledging that she had very fine eyes.

"And do you dance Mr. Bingley?" said Mrs. Bennet.

"Yes, I greatly enjoy dancing Mrs. Bennet. Miss Bennet, would you care to dance the next set, if you are not yet engaged?"

"Yes, thank you Mr. Bingley" Jane responded with a smile.

Darcy realized that the polite thing to do would be to offer to dance with one of the other ladies.

"Miss Elizabeth, if you are also free for the next set, then would you care to join me in a dance?"

"I believe I would Mr. Darcy, thank you."

As the two couples took the floor, all eyes of the assembly were on them. Mrs. Bennet was very close to needed her salts, so great was her excitement as her daughters danced with these eligible gentlemen.

**A/N: Finally, our favorite couple will meet. I love your comments & reviews, so click that review button! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pride & Prejudice. No copywrite infringement intended.**

**Chapter 6**

"The weather has been very fine as of late," said Darcy.

"Yes, it has sir."

"It is fortunate for you given your penchant for walking."

"Yes, it is."

Quiet ensued as they continued the dance steps. Darcy could think of nothing else to speak of beyond the weather. In light of his new resolution to be more personable, he pressed on.

"I happened upon a charming meadow during my ride this week. Perhaps you know of it?"

Elizabeth was surprised that he referred to the meadow. She was thankful for a new topic though and readily responded.

"Yes, I know it very well. I have pilfered many flowers over the years from that meadow. It is on the border of Netherfield estate closest to our own."

"Well, I am certain that Mr. Bingley will not begrudge you any flowers though your secret is safe with me."

This caused Elizabeth to smile and Darcy was again captured by the light in her eyes. Very fine indeed.

"Does Meryton often hold assemblies such as this?"

"Not often, no, but be assured that they are always a welcome distraction to the general populace of the area. I'm sure that it is nothing compared to what is typical in Town; however, where good friends and good conversation are prevalent, I will always be contented."

_Hmmm…certainly no woman of my acquaintance would profess such a belief. Preferring a small country-dance to one of the Ton? _

Their dance soon ended and Darcy led her back to her mother, who was currently engrossed with Bingley. He offered to bring Elizabeth some punch and they continued to converse once he returned.

"It must be pleasant to have so many sisters close in age."

"Pleasant may not be the adjective I would use to describe living in a house swarming with young females sir." Elizabeth laughingly replied. "Although I do love my sisters dearly and we have many enjoyable times together, it can be equally exasperating."

"I was thinking of how much my sister, Georgiana, would appreciate having siblings of an age with her. She is more than ten years my junior and I often feel that I am sorely lacking when it comes to entertaining her."

Elizabeth smiled as she could see the love that he held for his sister as he spoke of her.

"Will your sister be joining you at Netherfield?"

"No, her studies keep her in Town. She is currently staying with our Aunt."

"How nice that she is able to spend some time with family while you are away."

"Yes, I dislike being away from her but I know that she enjoys the company of our Aunt. Older brothers are not welcome companions during all-day shopping excursions."

"I beg to differ sir. I know of several outings that Jane and I would have benefited from having an older brother join us while shopping. An additional pair of arms to carry packages would have been very welcome."

This brought a smile to both of their faces. Elizabeth was struck by how handsome Mr. Darcy truly was when there was a smile upon his face.

The rest of the assembly passed and by the close of the night, the gentlemen of Netherfield were considered friendly and obliging. Mr. Bingley had won the approval of all he met with his cheerful personality as well as the fact that he enjoyed dancing and was not without a partner throughout the night. Darcy was regarded as being quite as amiable as Bingley; although, he only danced three sets. Perhaps this glowing esteem stemmed more from the rumor circulating that he had 10,000 a year compared to Bingley's 5,000.

Once they returned home, Jane and Elizabeth began to discuss the evening's events as soon as they were sequestered in their bedroom.

"Well, Jane, I believe you made quite the conquest tonight. Momma will be proud"

"Oh, Lizzy, do not tease me so. He is beyond anything I could hope for in a suitor…friendly, obliging, well-informed…"

"Do not forget handsome and rich, sweet sister, for those are imperative in the ideal husband!" Lizzy added with a smile.

"Such words from my little sister. But I will not be fooled; we have both sworn to marry for love. Wealth alone does not make a happy marriage."

"Yet it is convenient. If what I saw when Mr. Bingley danced with you is any indication, I do not believe you will have to worry yourself over such an issue."

"Do you truly believe that he liked me Lizzy?" Jane asked tentatively.

"Jane, he danced with you alone twice and could not keep his eyes off of you during the evening!"

They both smiled excitedly. Jane was wistful but suddenly remembered something.

"And what of you and Mr. Darcy, Lizzy?"

"Really, Jane, just because you have made a splendid match does not mean that I will be so fortunate. Don't forget that he danced with you and Charlotte as well. I'll concede, he was pleasant to talk to tonight and a fine dancer but I will not think of him beyond that."

"You don't give yourself enough credit Lizzy. He looked at you quite a bit throughout the evening." Jane added with a smile.

"Enough of this silliness Jane. Men of his station do not look for a match at a country-dance. Now, goodnight dear sister."

"Goodnight Lizzy" said Jane as she blew out the candle.

Darcy was surprised by how much he enjoyed this evening, at a dance no less! Once he put forth the effort to converse with some of the neighbors, he was rewarded with finding several witty and entertaining companions. Sir William Lucas, while not particularly well informed, was very humorous to talk to. He was also delighted to find that Mr. Bennet had a keen wit and vast knowledge of literature.

_Miss Elizabeth Bennet must favor her father_, he thought suddenly. While Mrs. Bennet was perfectly polite to him, he recognized her shrewd appraisal of Bingley and himself as possible suitors for her daughters. Bingley appeared to be more than happy to be ensnared if it meant marriage to Miss Bennet, his 'angel' as he referred to her several times during their journey back to Netherfield. Bingley was forever falling in love with various 'angels'.

As Darcy reflected on the conversations and dance partners of the night, he allowed that it had been a very enjoyable evening indeed. For the first time in weeks, his thoughts before bed were not clouded by betrayal, worry and forced engagements. No, tonight, he drifted to sleep thinking only of a pair of bewitching eyes.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has added this story to your favorites and is following it. I hope you enjoyed the early update. Hit the review button and let me know what you thought!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pride & Prejudice. No copyright infringement intended.**

Chapter 7

The day after the Assembly dawned bright and clear. There was a calm wind and the birds' sweet song could be heard outside. This was not the case within the walls of Longborn.

"Oh, Mr. Bennet, what a fortunate thing for our girls to have Mr. Bingley arrived just in time!"

"Just in time for what, my dear?" Mr. Bennet responded with not much enthusiasm.

"Why to save us all from destitution, of course! Now, when you have passed on, which may be very soon, it will not matter that that odious Mr. Collins will steal Longborn from it's rightful owners. Dear Mr. Bingley will ensure that we do not end up in the hedgerows! Yes, yes, a very happy turn of events."

"Might I remind you, Madam, that I may outlive you." Mrs. Bennet looked completely offended at this thought.

"Also, although Mr. Bingley showed uncommon good sense in dancing with our two eldest last night, that does not immediately result in a proposal to care for a family of five women, forgive me, I meant a proposal of marriage."

He said this last with a wink to Elizabeth and Jane. They attempted to hide their smiles as their mother glared at their father with indignation. Before she could continue to argue with him, Mr. Bennet continued.

"I would ask that you ready a room and arrange for an excellent dinner tomorrow night Mrs. Bennet for our guest will tomorrow afternoon."

This captured the attention of all of the girls at the table.

"Guest? Pray tell whom are you referring to Mr. Bennet? I know of no guest arriving tomorrow?" Mrs. Bennet looked truly flustered.

"Why, it is none other than the 'odious Mr. Collins' but I do ask that you refrain from referring to him in such a manner once he arrives. It would not do to insult the man who will 'steal Longborn from its rightful owners."

Chaos ensued. Mrs. Bennet claimed that she would not harbor such a viper in their midst, while Kitty and Lydia begged for details of his looks. Mr. Bennet made it clear that they would indeed harbor this viper for the young man had written an entertaining letter a fortnight ago asking to visit to help heal the break in the family. Since he did not enclose a self-portrait, Mr. Bennet could not attest to the handsomeness of his appearance. He then left the room, muttering to himself about 'the silliest girls in England'.

Later that morning, Elizabeth was greatly relieved to hear that there were callers in the parlor. He mother had not stopped ranting and complaining about Mr. Collins while also ordering the staff to ensure that everything was prepared for his stay. Her mother may be flighty but she was a celebrated hostess in the area and would not let it be said that hospitality could not be found at Longborn.

The arrival of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy was just the diversion needed to distract her mother.

Mrs. Bennet was pleased to see that Mr. Bingley chose a seat close to Jane but was somewhat at a loss of what to do with Mr. Darcy. He was friendly enough last evening but did not show any specific interest in any one of his girls. Of course, he had danced with Jane & Lizzy but Jane was already paired with Bingley and Lizzy was much too disobliging for such a man. Lydia's exuberance and beauty was certainly more fitting for a man of his station. She was about to suggest that he take the seat next to Lydia when he turned to look out the window. What a strange, reticent man.

Mr. Bingley was again cheerful and talkative. The same could not be said of Mr. Darcy. He stood by the window and rarely joined in the conversation other than the initial pleasantries.

Elizabeth was pleased to see that Mr. Darcy seemed to regain some of his good humor once a walk in the garden was suggested. Mrs. Bennet urged Lydia to join the party but she immediately protested saying that she must work on a particularly ugly bonnet that she was remaking. It was with reluctance then that their mother conceded that Jane & Elizabeth would show the gentlemen the garden. She would be sure to discuss the importance of a wealthy prospect over the urgency of a newly trimmed bonnet with her youngest.

It was not long into their perusal of the flowerbeds that Bingley and Jane, once again, began to converse privately. Elizabeth was eager to encourage their blossoming relationship so she turned all of her attention to the gentleman from the North.

"You have a lovely garden, Miss Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I assure you that it is through no great effort of my own. Jane and I have assisted in some of the design; although, she derives much more enjoyment from it than I. My one passion would be tending the roses."

Darcy smiled as he responded, "I believe that roses often inspire a passionate response."

"Yes, I agree. I cannot help but admire a rose's ability to thrive regardless of whether it is continually tended to or growing in the wild."

"And do you prefer the classic red rose, Miss Elizabeth?"

"Well, I believe you begin to think me very dull, Mr. Darcy. A girl must prefer roses and, of course, red roses most of all. I must disappoint you on that score. Yellow roses are by far my favorite. A vivid reminder of sun and warmth and hope."

After a brief silence, Darcy commented.

"You may be surprised that yellow was also my mother's favorite color of rose. She had a great many rose bushes planted in her gardens. They remain there today and serve as a reminder of the warmth she brought to those she knew before she passed on."

Elizabeth could see that Mr. Darcy was greatly affected by his mother's passing. After offering her condolences, she decided to change the subject.

"I will not ask you how Hertfordshire compares to Derbyshire, Mr. Darcy, because I am certain that we will disagree as to which is the superior."

He laughed lightly at this.

"Perhaps you are correct. While I have enjoyed the little that I have seen of Hertfordshire so far, I believe that my preference will always lie with the wild beauty of the North, Miss Elizabeth."

"Yes, people cannot help but favor their home. I do hope that you are able to explore more of the area during your stay though Mr. Darcy. While Hertfordshire does not boast the great peaks of the North, it has many charms in its own right."

As Darcy discreetly glanced at his walking companion, he responded.

"I find that I agree with you, Hertfordshire is indeed charming."

**A/U: Thanks again to all of those following this story. Next up, our favorite parson from Kent! Hit the button and let me know what you think. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pride & Prejudice. No copyright infringement intended.**

Chapter 8

The following day, Jane and Elizabeth were quick to escape the house. Mrs. Bennet was in a flurry preparing for the arrival of Mr. Collins and the girls swiftly realized that they should find diversions out of the house and out of her way.

"What sort of man do you suppose he will be?" Jane asked as they meandered through the woods.

"I cannot believe him to be sensible. Father read a portion of his letter to me last evening and he sounds ridiculous."

"Lizzy! You should not speak of our cousin so, especially given that we have not even made his acquaintance yet."

Lizzy smirked and replied, "Very well, Jane. I shall deter my pronouncements of idiocy until we have met our dear cousin."

Both girls laughed and continued down the path towards the meadow.

"Perhaps we should not have ventured so far today. The sky looks as if a storm is coming soon."

"But, Jane, these may be the last of the wild flowers for the year. I'd like to gather a few more to arrange. Also, Mama may be more forgiving of our sudden desertion if we return bearing gifts."

"Very well. But let us hurry. I would not wish to be absent when our visitor arrives."

"I am sure that I could think of another visitor who you would welcome with more enthusiasm." Lizzy teased.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, come now, Jane. Surely, you expect Mr. Bingley to call on you again. Did he mention anything yesterday?"

"No, of course not. He did say that he was very pleased with Netherfield and was delighted to meet so many kind neighbors."

"Yes, **your** Mr. Bingley seems to be quite delighted to meet you."

"He is not my Mr. Bingley." Jane replied. But after a moment of thought, she could not help but add with a small smile, "but I would certainly be happy if he were."

Lizzy decided to stop teasing her sister at that point. She knew that even making a small admission as this was difficult for her cautious sister.

They arrived at the meadow and began gathering the flowers that were still blooming. The activity was so enjoyable that they were able to forget the overcast sky for the moment.

Just as Elizabeth was going to suggest returning home, the sky opened up and the rain poured down. They were stunned to suddenly be completely soaked but then Lizzy began laughing.

"I'll race you back to the path!" Lizzy called out to Jane, who was quite a distance away.

They ran as fast as they could to gain the shelter of the trees. Both were laughing and remembering similar instances from their childhood as they tried to be first to reach the path.

Lizzy had just reached the edge of the meadow when she heard an unexpected gasp behind her. She turned to see Jane on the ground, wincing in pain. She immediately ran towards her sister.

"Jane, are you well? What happened?" Lizzy asked when she was finally besides Jane. The rain was falling heavily now.

"I tripped over a tree root. My ankle turned badly, Lizzy." Jane cried over the thundering sky.

"Let me help you up, dearest. We must at least get out of this rain."

Jane attempted to stand using Lizzy's help but she cried out when she inadvertently put her weight on her foot.

At that moment, they heard the unmistakable sound of horse hooves. Elizabeth looked up to see none other than Mr. Darcy approaching on his horse. He quickly dismounted and went straight to the sisters.

"What has happened Miss Elizabeth?"

"Please, Mr. Darcy, can you assist my sister? She has turned her ankle and is unable to walk."

"Yes, of course." He replied but as he moved to Miss Bennet's side, Bingley appeared. A look of panic was on his face as he approached the trio.

"Miss Bennet!" was all that he said before he brushed past Darcy and scooped Jane up to carry her to path with his horse following behind him. Darcy and Elizabeth ran behind them.

"I must return her home immediately and send for the apothecary. We will meet you there." With that, Bingley put Jane upon his horse and mounted behind her on the saddle and headed towards Longborn.

Elizabeth's concern for her sister was so great that she had not yet fully realized her own situation. She was currently standing on the path in the woods, alone with Mr. Darcy, still holding his arm and both were completely soaked through.

She glanced up at Darcy, who seemed to also be lost in his own thoughts staring down the path where Bingley had disappeared. She again was struck with how handsome he was, perhaps, especially because of his rumpled appearance, which was so contrary to his normally impeccable attire. She was very aware of their close proximity. Darcy turned and glanced quickly at her hand upon his arm and then looked up into her eyes. Certainly her heart had betrayed her and he could hear it pounding as loud as she did! It felt like ages before he broke his gaze.

"I believe we should follow their example and make haste to Longborn. I realize the impropriety of riding together; however, I would rather ensure that you are home out of the rain as quickly as possible."

Elizabeth could see that he was torn between his concern for her well-being and the state of her reputation. She quickly replied.

"Mr. Darcy, I believe that my reputation is at risk regardless. Surely you realize that we are quite alone in a rainstorm right now? Let us follow as quickly as possible for I am greatly worried for my sister."

"Yes, yes, of course."

He helped her onto the saddle and then swiftly took his place behind her. Darcy held the reigns in one hand and place the other at her waist. As he urged the horse forward, Elizabeth could not help but wonder at how uncommonly warm she felt even though she was dripping wet from the rainstorm.

**A/N: I am so sorry for the late posting. I can only blame the cold that has circulated to all members of my family over the last week. I promise that Mr. Collins will appear in the next chapter. I hope that you enjoyed this little bit of rainy day fun. Click the button and tell me what you thought! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pride & Prejudice. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter 9**

Elizabeth felt as though she were melting. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the handsomest man of her acquaintance was currently sitting directly behind her. Then again, the feel of Mr. Darcy's hand upon her waist was causing strange new sensations in her that she had never before thought possible.

_Why was it taking so long to reach Longborn?_

She vaguely registered that it was still raining but, with the cover of the trees, there were only a few drops that intermittently fell onto her face. She closed her eyes as she felt his breath upon her neck. She was hyper-aware of all of his movements. Was he moving his hand? It felt as if he were slowly rubbing his thumb in a circular motion upon her hip. With her eyes still closed, she felt him lean closer to her ear and whisper, "Elizabeth".

Jane calling for her again jolted Lizzy awake. She opened her eyes to realize that she had fallen asleep in the chair next to the bed. She wiped her sister's face again with a damp cloth. Poor Jane. Upon their arrival at Longborn, their father carried Jane to her bedchamber and the apothecary was called. By the time he arrived, Jane was already feeling poorly. Thankfully, he declared that her ankle was merely badly sprained; however, she began feeling feverish by nightfall.

Elizabeth had been tending to her since they returned and had no time to give thought to what had happened to Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy or their new houseguest, Mr. Collins.

It was now the middle of the night and she doubted that she would be able to gain much sleep since Jane's fever was still raging. She would have to put aside any thoughts of the invigorating ride home this afternoon for another time. Her memory seemed so clear but surely Mr. Darcy had not whispered her name. As Jane moaned again, Lizzy decided to ponder the mysterious gentleman at a later date.

The Reverend William Collins was quite the magnanimous man. He arrived at his late father's cousin's home prepared to extend the proverbial olive branch and heal the breach that had severed their family connection for so many years. He expected to be received with all that was due a man of the cloth as well as the next in line to inherit the estate. He planned to look over his reputed beautiful cousins and select one to be the future partner of his life. This plan would suit everyone as well as fulfill the directive of his patroness, Lady Catherine de Burgh.

Unfortunately, his welcome was not what he expected. Upon his arrival, He was unceremoniously shown to the parlor while the rest of the house seemed to be in an uproar. Apparently, the eldest sisters had been skittering about the countryside in a rainstorm that morning and were suffering the ill effects of it. He thought this behavior quite unladylike and was secretly even more offended that they had not been waiting with bated breath for his arrival.

He learned this information from the seemingly one sensible girl in the family. Her name was Mary and she was the middle sister of the five. She was not quite beautiful in his opinion; actually she was rather plain.

"I do apologize again, Mr. Collins, that the rest of my family is not available to welcome you at this time. The apothecary is here for my sister Jane and both of my parents and my sister Elizabeth wished to be present to hear how she would fare."

"I see. And do you not have two younger sisters as well, Cousin Mary?"

"Yes, sir. Unfortunately, my sisters Catherine and Lydia are employed elsewhere in the house."

Mary blushed at this. She was ashamed of her younger sisters' behavior. When their cousin had arrived and her parents asked her to receive their guest in their stead, she had sought her younger sisters to join her. She felt that it was shameful enough that one of her parents would not greet Mr. Collins but she was truly shocked when her younger sisters claimed that they had spied him from the upstairs window and 'nothing would persuade them to spend time in the parlor with such a toad'.

Another "I see." was all that Mary received in response. Since she was never the center of attention or particularly singled out by their callers, Mary wanted to make the most of this opportunity. She offered Mr. Collins a cup of tea and tried to come up with a topic that might interest her cousin.

"Mr. Collins, I recall that my father stated your living was in Kent. I have heard it is a beautiful area; although, I have never ventured so far."

"Yes, yes, of course, it is quite beautiful." Mr. Collins responded curtly.

Mary could see that she was not entertaining him and thought to try and draw him out again.

"And your patroness is a well-known Lady? My father also mentioned her name from your letter. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, correct?"

Suddenly, his eyes brightened and he turned his full attention to Mary. As he continued speaking of his beneficent patroness, for the next full hour, Mary felt a great sense of accomplishment. This was the longest discourse she had ever had with a man. Unfortunately, she knew that it would all be for naught once he caught a glimpse of one of her other sisters. Still, she was determined to try. Being the next mistress of Longborn would certainly gain the attention of her family at last.

The next day, Darcy was anxious to go for another ride to clear his head. After speaking with Charles at breakfast, they decided to call at Longborn later today and enquire after Miss Bennet's health. Actually, that was Bingley's plan and Darcy agreed to join him. Of course, he didn't' share with Charles that he was also concerned that Miss Elizabeth might have felt poorly after such an extended period in the rain.

Elizabeth. It was thoughts of her that he was trying to escape this morning. The ride back to Longborn was both a piece of heaven and a piece of hell. She had bewitched him. What sort of gentleman held a woman at the waist like that? He told himself it was to ensure that she did not slip from the horse but it sounded false even in his own head. He just wanted to hold her. This pull towards her was becoming concerning. A true gentleman would never act in a way that would lead to expectations that could not be fulfilled.

Thankfully, her father was a sensible man and truly cared for the welfare of his daughters. When they had arrived at the house, Bingley and Jane had been there for some time. Mr. Bennet was greatly relieved when he set eyes on Elizabeth and saw that she was safe. He did not look so pleased at the sight of me. He immediately addressed the lapse in propriety of the situation.

"My housekeeper and I saw that you, all four, arrived at the same time. That is all that needs to be known."

Then, Mr. Bennet ushered Elizabeth into the house and up the stairs. She did; however, spare Darcy a glance over her shoulder. The look that she gave caused him to stand motionless for several minutes after they left. That was the look that plagued his dreams all night. He expected her to be relieved that her father was not angered or perhaps that she would be anxious about the health of her sister. But it was neither of these that she conveyed with her striking eyes; no, it was a look of pure longing.

**A/N: I have updated this chapter to correct a few mistakes that I originally made. A big thanks to YepItsMe and cckeimig for pointing them out and helping me improve my writing. I hope you enjoy it!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pride & Prejudice. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter 10**

The days passed slowly for Elizabeth after her adventure in the rain. She spent her time above stairs caring for Jane. Jane's fever had finally abated; however, she was still week and the apothecary felt it best for her to remain confined to bed for a full week. Elizabeth would not leave her dearest sister throughout this time for fear that she might become lonely.

However, at her mother's insistence, Lizzy had joined the family in the drawing room after dinner three days after Jane fell ill. Jane and Elizabeth had not yet met Mr. Collins due to their restriction to their bedchamber and Mrs. Bennet was anxious that Lizzy, at least, make his acquaintance.

It seems that Mr. Collins had made his intentions known to Mrs. Bennet regarding choosing a wife amongst her daughters and she was now on a quest to have Mary make the match.

"Oh, Lizzy! What a fine thing it is for our Mary! I am so pleased. This will solve all of our problems. With Mary as the next mistress of Longborn, we need not worry about being thrown to the hedgerows when your poor father passes on."

Lizzy tried to interject at this point, but her mother's happy ranting would not be contained.

"And it will also relieve my mind to have Mary so well settled. I can tell you that with her bookish ways and refusal to do anything to improve her appearance that I had quite despaired over finding her a husband."

"Mama please! Mary is just not very comfortable in company."

"Well, it is neither here nor there since she is sure to be married soon. Now, you must join us tonight, I'll take no arguments from you. We do not want dear Mr. Collins to feel slighted at your extended absence now that Jane is on the mend."

"Yes, Mama. I will join you once I have Jane settled for the night."

"That's a good girl."

Then, as Mrs. Bennet walked away, it appeared that she was struck with a thought and turned to address her daughter once more.

"Oh, and Lizzy. Be sure to be agreeable but not too agreeable towards Mr. Collins tonight."

Elizabeth looked perplexed so Mrs. Bennet continued.

"I would not wish for Mr. Collins to turn his attentions towards you. Although you run about with your wild ways and rarely heed my advice, you do have some admirers in the Village and I have much more confidence in securing a husband for you than for Mary."

Her mother paused and uncharacteristically lowered her voice.

"Also, I have great hopes for Jane to secure Mr. Bingley. He was full of concern for her health. You would do well child to put forth some effort in encouraging his friend, Mr. Darcy."

"Mama, please do not set your hopes upon a match between that gentleman and myself. You must see that it is impossible." Lizzy whispered back as much to her mother as to herself.

"I certainly do not see that it is impossible. He is far above our sphere to be sure; however, I was born a tradesman's daughter and captured the heart of your gentleman father. It can be accomplished, my dear."

Lizzy was stunned into silence as she watched her mother walk away.

That evening, Elizabeth realized that her first assessment of Mr. Collins was, indeed, correct. He was ridiculous. He was a strange mix of equal parts obsequiousness and pomposity. It was obvious that he held no patience for her two youngest sisters; however, she could hardly fault him for that. Kitty & Lydia spent the time in which he was reading to them all by giggling and making noise. Lizzy was not fooled by their occasional apologies to Mr. Collins. She knew that Lydia hoped to dissuade him from further reading by annoying him. When that plan failed, Lydia loudly began telling their Mama about the recent gossip acquired from Meryton about the regiment of officers that recently encamped there. Mr. Collins finally gave up the book and immediately began a conversation with Elizabeth.

Mary had been politely listening to his reading up to this point. When she saw his intention to seek out Lizzy, she determinedly walked towards them and tried to take part in the conversation. Elizabeth was surprised but proud of her.

"Mr. Collins, if you have a moment, I would appreciate your wisdom regarding one of the passages you read earlier this evening. Reverend Fordyce's advice regarding duty to one's parents and God was of particular interest to me." Mary said sweetly.

Mr. Collins looked torn between his need to impart his greater wisdom on this subject and becoming better acquainted with the more beautiful sister, Elizabeth. Before he could form an excuse to dismiss Mary, Lizzy took the opportunity to grant them privacy to discuss.

"Mr. Collins, it was lovely to meet you at last but I must return to my eldest sister. I am sure that my absence will allow you to assist Mary in reaching a greater understanding of the Reverend's directives."

As Lizzy left the room, she was certain that her mother nodded in approval. If Jane were still awake, she would be happy for the laugh once Lizzy informed her of this evening's events.

A few days later, Kitty and Lydia burst into the parlor looking out of breath and full of excitement.

"Oh Mama! You'll never guess what I have to tell you!" Kitty exclaimed. Lydia quickly cut her off by shouting.

"Our Aunt Philips is giving a card party tomorrow evening to welcome the regiment. All of the dashing officers shall be there!"

"Lydia! You never let me tell any news!" Kitty cried.

In true ladylike fashion, Lydia stuck her tongue out at Kitty and continued.

"This is quite the most exciting thing to ever happen in Meryton. I hope that Lieutenant Denny and Chamberlain will attend. I am not sure which I will settle on since they both look very gallant in their red coats."

"I agree, my dears. A red coat can only improve a man's countenance. I was awfully fond of a red coat myself when I was a girl." Mrs. Bennet added dreamily.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as her sister continued to speak about the officers. She almost felt sorry for the poor men! Kitty and Lydia had not ceased tittering about the officers since the regiment arrived this week.

"Where are Mary and Mr. Collins? Did they not join you on your walk to Meryton this morning?" Elizabeth asked her sisters.

"Oh lord! What a bore he is!" Lydia groaned.

"Yes, Lizzy, be happy that you were unable to join us this morning. He droned on and on the entire way to the village! Then he told Lydia and I that it would be unseemly for us to greet Denny." Kitty added indignantly.

"I do not see what is so unseemly about saying good morning to a friend. He was only on the other side of the road. I had to yell loudly to gain his attention." Lydia huffed.

"Truly, Lydia. A young gentlewoman should not be shouting at an officer on the street!" Elizabeth admonished her youngest sister. She glanced at her mother to see if she would support her rebuke but she was still smiling slightly to herself while looking out the window.

"Pah, Lizzy, you sound just like our cousin! You are just jealous that Kitty and I have met many of the officers while you have been stuck at home!"

"Well, I will be meeting many of the officers at Aunt Philips card party tomorrow so I believer that I can weather my disappointment. Now, can you please tell me what has become of Mary and Mr. Collins?"

Kitty and Lydia smiled at each other and then Kitty spoke up.

"After Mary completed her errands, we decided to call on Aunt Philips. Once she told us the news of her party, we said that we must rush home at once to inform Mama. Mr. Collins is such a very large man. I believe that he required a bit more rest before making the long walk back. Mary stayed to keep him company."

"It was so funny! You should have seen how red-faced and out of breath he became while only strolling about town. We were glad not to have to listen to his preaching on our return walk and we were able to give them some time alone. I was sure that Mama would approve." Lydia said with a look of satisfaction on her face.

Elizabeth decided that now would be a good time to take a walk herself. She could not deny that she was looking forward to the card party. She had too much time confined at home of late. She also had spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about a certain tall gentleman on horseback.

Her mother had said that both Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy had called the day after they were caught in the rain to inquire about Jane's health. It was a very kind gesture and she wondered if they would attend the card party. Her aunt was sure to invite them.

She was brought out of her musings by the sound of a horse. As she looked up, she heard his voice.

"Good day Miss Elizabeth. I am happy to see you walking about again."

"Good day Mr. Darcy. Thank you, I am glad to be out again too."

"How is Miss Bennet? Fully recovered, I hope."

"Yes sir. She is, which is why I have taken the opportunity to enjoy this fine weather."

She wanted to ask if they would be attending the party tomorrow evening; however, he spoke as if reading her thoughts.

"I believe we will have the pleasure of your aunt's hospitality tomorrow for a card party."

"Yes, my sisters and I are quite looking forward to it."

He continued to smile down at her from atop his horse. Once again Elizabeth felt a powerful draw to him. Could it be that he felt it too?

"Well, then, until tomorrow evening Miss Elizabeth."

Darcy tipped his hat and rode away. Elizabeth could not help the smile that graced her lips as she turned back towards home.

**A/N: Thank you to all of the wonderful people who added this story to their favorites and followed it after the last chapter! Reviews, Questions, Comments?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The Bennet ladies arrived at their Aunt Philips party the following night full of excitement and hopes of an entertaining evening. The addition of the Bennet's cousin, the gentleman from Netherfield as well as the many fine soldiers from the militia had caused all of the unmarried girls of Meryton to spend an excessive amount of time preparing for a simple card party. It was sure to be a smashing success and Mrs. Philips could not be more pleased about being the hostess of such a gathering.

As they entered the party, Lydia and Kitty immediately squealed in delight and rushed over to a group of soldiers. Mary politely requested that Mr. Collins join her in speaking with their local vicar since they had not yet been introduced. Elizabeth and Jane exchanged a smile at Mary's machinations. She had recently confided in them of her regard for Mr. Collins and her hopes for the future. Lizzy found it humorous that after all of the years of her mother prodding and pushing them towards gentleman who they had little interest in, she now was encouraging matches for Jane and Mary that they would be very happy to accept.

"Come, Jane, let us join Charlotte. I believe old Mrs. Crane is telling her the story of her chickens again. Poor Charlotte looks desperate to be rescued."

They both laughed when a great look of relief crossed Charlotte's face when she caught sight of the sisters moving her way. She politely excused herself from Mrs. Crane. As she hugged Lizzy in greeting, Charlotte whispered 'thank you'.

The trio moved to an unoccupied area and began to catch up.

"Well, my dear friends, how have you been since I have seen you last? I must say that I am very pleased to see you finally out again Jane."

"Thank you Charlotte. It is good to be among friends again. Although Lizzy did keep me well-entertained while I was ill."

Charlotte and Jane smiled at Lizzy and found that she was subtly scanning the room. Charlotte wondered at her friend's preoccupation but continued to speak with Jane.

"My mother told me how you were saved by Mr. Bingley. How lucky that he came upon you both and was able to assist you home. What an exciting tale! It will be a lovely story to tell your children." Charlotte teased.

"Oh Charlotte! You are incorrigible. I am thankful that Mr. Bingley was there though." Jane replied.

"Perhaps one day I will receive all of the romantic details but I will stop pestering you for now." Charlotte replied and then turned to find Elizabeth once again glancing towards the door.

"You appear to be looking for someone Lizzy. Tell me, has a soldier already captured your heart?" Charlotte teased.

Elizabeth blushed and quickly replied.

"No, no…I was only trying to find a familiar face. My aunt will be in raptures over her card party being such a crush."

Charlotte decided to have mercy on her and allowed the subject change.

"Yes, I'm sure that you will both have a great deal of admirers by the end of the evening. There is a new soldier who just signed on to the militia and arrived yesterday. He is here tonight and caused quite the sensation."

"Have you met him yet?" Jane enquired.

"Yes, and I will be sure to introduce you both to him. I believe that Mr. Wickham rivals Mr. Darcy in looks and Mr. Bingley in amiability."

"Then I am very thankful to find he is only a soldier. It would be fearsome indeed if one gentleman had looks, personality as well as several thousands pounds a year!" Lizzy whispered.

They laughed loudly at this until suddenly Charlotte stopped and stated, "And here is your Mr. Bingley now, Jane."

Elizabeth turned towards the door and saw Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy greeting her aunt and uncle. Once Mr. Bingley caught sight of Jane, he made his way to her as quickly as possible while still politely greeting his other neighbors along the way. Mr. Darcy followed behind him.

"Not yours, indeed. Jane, see how he immediately comes this way. Well done. I look forward to wishing you joy in the near future." Charlotte whispered as they watched Bingley cross the room.

"Hush Charlotte. Poor Jane will surely die from such talk. It is a good thing that her blush only increases her beauty." Lizzy whispered back just before Bingley was before them.

Jane was certainly embarrassed by her sister and friend's teasing; however, all of that was washed away as she began conversing with Mr. Bingley. Soon, the pair headed to the refreshment table and then sat by the fire to continue talking.

Mr. Darcy had remained with Elizabeth and Charlotte.

"Good evening ladies. I apologize that my friend has broken up your group. I hope that you will accept me as a poor substitute."

"Not at all Mr. Darcy. As Charlotte, Jane and I have been friends for all of our lives, it is refreshing to allow new friends into our circle occasionally." Elizabeth replied.

"Then I shall do my best to contribute to the frivolity of the evening so as to not make your gracious offer of friendship a source of regret for you, Miss Elizabeth."

The look that passed between the two at this gave Charlotte pause. Perhaps fortune was shining upon both of the eldest Bennet sisters. Seeing that her presence was superfluous, Charlotte excused herself to speak with another neighbor.

"Are you very fond of cards, Miss Elizabeth?"

"Not particularly. I do enjoy a game now and then; however, my youngest sisters greatly enjoy it so I am often called upon to complete a table. I would venture a guess that you excel at cards sir."

Darcy was slightly taken aback by her flattery since it was not normally forthcoming from her. As he saw the arch of her brow, he realized that she was most likely teasing him. He decided to take the bait.

"Pray, why would you believe that Miss Elizabeth?"

Slightly leaning in, Lizzy conspiratorially responded.

"Well, sir, such taciturn individuals as ourselves must gravitate towards those activities that require the least amount of social interaction. It is perfectly acceptable for one to remain silent while concentrating on a card game."

"An ideal situation, indeed, especially for those of us who have such personality traits; although, I must disagree with you on one point."

"And what is that sir?"

Darcy leaned in a bit farther and lowered his voice before answering.

"Spirited, intelligent women such as yourself could never be entitled 'taciturn'."

Elizabeth could feel a blush creep from her neck to her face.

"I am quite parched, Mr. Darcy. I believe I will have another glass of punch before the games begin."

"Please, allow me to fetch you a glass. I will return in a moment."

Darcy quickly moved toward the crowded punch table on the other side of the room.

Elizabeth was trying to calm her nerves when she heard someone approach behind her. She turned in time to be caught in the gaze of two piercing blue eyes. They belonged to a very handsome gentleman who cut a fine figure in a red coat.

"Elizabeth, I'd like to introduce you to two of the new officers. This is Lieutenant Denny and his friend, Lieutenant Wickham, who just arrived to the militia yesterday." Charlotte said.

"Miss Elizabeth." Lieutenant Denny bowed.

"Enchanted." Lieutenant Wickham raised her hand and bowed over it as if he would kiss it but then thought better of it and straightened up to continue speaking.

"I have had the pleasure of meeting your younger sisters earlier tonight. What luck that I arrived in time to attend such a party."

"Yes, I believe the whole of the neighborhood is here tonight. How do you find our little village, Lieutenant Wickham?" Elizabeth asked.

"I like it very much. How could I not when introduced to so many kind people and such beautiful young women?" He responded with a stunning smile. Elizabeth could not help but blush again. _Fearsome indeed_, she thought.

When she glanced back up at Lt. Wickham, she was surprised to see that the smile upon his face had been replaced by a look of poorly contained terror.

"Miss Elizabeth, I have returned with your punch."

Elizabeth was startled to hear Mr. Darcy. She turned to find that, unlike the whitish hue upon Wickham's face, Mr. Darcy's was red. Although he held out the glass of punch to Elizabeth, his narrowed eyes were trained on Wickham. The tension within the group was palpable.

"Darcy, it is good to see you again." Wickham said in just above a whisper.

Darcy barely inclined his head in acknowledgement of Wickham's greeting. Then, he turned back to Elizabeth and Charlotte.

"I am afraid that urgent business calls me back to Netherfield. Enjoy your evening, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Lucas."

And then he was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_I am a fool_, Darcy thought as he paced in his room at Netherfield. _To leave her unprotected in HIS company? What was I thinking?_ Darcy had been unable to calm his thoughts since he returned from the card party hours ago. He knew that it was deplorable to have left Elizabeth…well, all of the young ladies, with such a cad; however, he could not control the fury that he felt upon seeing Wickham again.

He wished to never set eyes on the dog again; however, he could not, in good conscience, leave and allow Wickham to impose upon the young women of this town. Darcy knew that it would only be a matter of time before Wickham would set his sights on one of the reputed beauties of the village. His anger again at a boiling point, Darcy made a decision. He had covered for his father's favorite long enough. At first light, he would make a visit to the regiment encampment and speak with Colonel Forster. Darcy would be sure that Wickham was not free to practice his usual pastimes.

A few days after the card party, Elizabeth was still puzzled over the strange departure of Mr. Darcy that evening. After he left, there was an awkward silence among the group until Lt. Denny asked Wickham how he knew Mr. Darcy. Wickham's reply was simply, "We were childhood friends." Before any further enquiry could be made, he politely excused himself and left the party early. Elizabeth wondered at the cold greeting between men who claimed to be childhood friends. What could it mean?

Mr. Bingley arrived that day to announce that he would be holding a ball. He wanted to personally invite the Bennet's. All of the ladies met this announcement with much excitement; however, when he shyly turned to Jane and requested her hand for the first dance, Mrs. Bennet was ready for her smelling salts.

The commotion jolted Mary & Mr. Collins from their discussion on last Sunday's sermon. Once Mr. Collins had properly thanked Mr. Bingley for his notice and condescension in including the humble parson in the family's invitation, he turned to Mary and made a great show of requesting her hand for the first set. Mary's face reflected the shock that she felt upon hearing his request. She had rarely been asked to dance at the assemblies and never for the first dance. With a demure smile, she accepted.

That evening, Jane and Elizabeth asked Mary to join them in their bedroom before they retired for the evening. The elder two sisters then discussed Mr. Bingley's many fine attributes and his gracious invitation to the ball. Mary was a little intimidated by her sisters; however, at the mention of Mr. Collins' obvious interest in her, she confided that she was terribly nervous.

"How shall I act? What shall I wear? I have never been so singled out in my life and though I am very pleased, I cannot help but feel that I will disappoint."

"Dear one, you will do very well. Lizzy and I will help you with your hair and the gown that Aunt Gardiner sent you from London will be beautiful." Jane said in an attempt to calm her fears.

"Yes, and I would not worry yourself regarding your dancing skills. Mr. Collins profession must prohibit him from attending a vast amount of balls. I'm sure that you will be perfectly comfortable paired with him."

It was difficult for Lizzy to refrain from smiling as she said this in the kindest tone possible. The thought of Mr. Collins trudging awkwardly across a dance floor was enough to make her laugh; however, she would not since it would surely offend Mary.

Lydia and Kitty suddenly barged into the room and cut off Mary from replying.

"Oh la! I cannot wait for the ball! I'm sure that my feet will be sore for days after all of the dancing I will do. It will be difficult to choose which of the officers I will dance with since there are too many to accommodate." Lydia said.

Kitty rolled her eyes and then flopped on the bed next to Jane.

"Yes, well you are a bit behind since Jane and Mary have already secured partners for the first dance." Kitty said with a smile.

"I am sure that once I go into Meryton tomorrow, I will have scores of officers ready to request a dance. Lizzy, you should come along with Kitty and I tomorrow. It would not do for the rest of us to have partners while you have to sit down the first set. Although, perhaps Kitty will join you." Lydia added with a laugh.

"Thank you so much for your offer Lydia; however, I do not wish to go to Meryton solely to 'fish' for a dance partner. I believe I will take my chances on what fate brings my way just as I have always done."

Still angry over Lydia's comment, Kitty responded with a devious look, "Perhaps Mr. Wickham will ask for you to dance Lizzy. I saw you speaking with him before he rushed off from the card party."

Her comment had the desired effect. Lydia immediately perked up and looked indignantly at Lizzy.

"Oh no! Do not chase after Mr. Wickham for I have already set my sights on him. If you had not scared him away from Aunt Philips, then he certainly would have sat down at my card table. He was very attentive to me when we were introduced."

Kitty again spoke up, "No more attentive than he was to Mariah and I! We were all introduced at the same time Lydia and he bowed over all of our hands."

"Yes, but I could tell that he wished to kiss MY hand and would have if Mama had not moved our way."

"Well, I am glad that he did not Lydia. We only made his acquaintance that evening." Mary finally said with a look of exasperation.

Once the younger girls left the room, Jane and Elizabeth readied for bed.

"Fear not, Lizzy. I am sure that you will be dancing the first set." Jane whispered.

"Yes, perhaps Mr. Collins has a relative that he could summon to the ball for me."

They both laughed and then drifted to sleep. Although, it was not a large, fumbling man dancing with Lizzy in her dreams. Her dream partner was as graceful as he was tall.

The next morning, Elizabeth woke earlier than usual and decided to extend her morning walk to Oakham Mount. Although, she would not admit it to her sisters, she was just as excited at the prospect of the ball.

Since she started mixing in society, she had the occasional admirer or two. However, no man had ever held her interest long. She was normally comfortable in a crowd and meeting new people but it was rare that she found someone who she could openly share her real opinions with.

She sat on an old log that she had long since decided was the best seat in the land. Not for its comfort but for the fantastic view it afforded. As she stared at the sunrise on the horizon, Elizabeth was pensive. Now that it seemed Jane had found her match as well as Mary, Elizabeth was a bit wistful wondering what was in store for her life.

"Good morning, Miss Elizabeth."

Lizzy almost didn't hear the words since they were spoken so gently. She turned to address the newcomer.

"Good morning to you, Mr. Darcy. You are up quite early, sir."

"No more than yourself, I see." Darcy replied as he approached her.

After a slight bow and curtsy, they both turned back towards the sunrise. After a few moments spent just appreciating the spectacular scene unfolding before them, Elizabeth spoke again.

"I trust you approve of the view."

"Quite magnificent." He replied.

"Yes, I have been climbing this hill since my childhood and the view never fails to inspire me."

After a few more moments had passed, Darcy could no longer wait to ease his conscience.

"Miss Elizabeth, I must beg your pardon for my swift departure from your aunt's card party. Truly, I had not intended to leave so soon; however, it could not be avoided."

She stared up at him a moment before replying to this. With her brow slightly arched, she said, "Yes, it is unfortunate that business called you away while you were in the midst of enjoying the party. Perhaps the conversation was not quite stimulating enough to warrant more of your time?"

Darcy was caught off guard at this retort since he fully expected her to politely accept his apology and speak no more of the incident. However, when she finally smiled at his stunned look, he realized that she was teasing him again.

He moved a bit closer to her and said softly, "Your conversation is always enjoyable and stimulating."

Unable to maintain eye contact with him after this response, Elizabeth looked out to the horizon again before continuing.

"It appears that you and Mr. Wickham have a long acquaintance, sir."

She had hoped to discover more of the story that led to such an odd greeting between the two men. However, Darcy's reaction was not what she expected.

"You take an eager interest in a man whom you only met briefly at a card party, Madam." Darcy ground out between clenched teeth.

Elizabeth was so stunned by such a comment that she could only stare at him in disbelief. When she finally found her voice, it was to sharply respond.

"Not at all sir. I only wondered that you did not have more to say to a childhood friend. I apologize if I offended you. I believe I will return home."

Elizabeth quickly bobbed a curtsy and turned on her heel down the hill. She had only taken a few steps, when she heard him call her name.

"Miss Elizabeth, please!"

She paused but did not turn to face him again.

"I apologize again. I had no right to question you. I can only wonder what tales Mr. Wickham decided to share with you that night. I would hope that you know my character well enough to disregard his lies."

At this, Elizabeth finally faced the gentleman again.

"Mr. Darcy, the only thing that Mr. Wickham said after you left was that you were childhood friends. He followed in your footsteps and departed the party early."

"I see."

"Also, I would hope that you, sir, would not think me so gullible to believe every new morsel of gossip that passes through a regiment of soldiers."

His face softened in hearing the indignation and anger in her response.

"Of course not. Again, I must apologize. I did not intend to offend you."

His voice turned serious once again as he continued.

"Mr. Wickham and I parted ways on bad terms. Although I cannot share the details of our history, I could not call myself a gentleman if I did not warn you to be on your guard. He is not to be trusted."

"Thank you sir. I shall heed your advice." Elizabeth responded. His words had caused her to wonder even more of the mystery surrounding their past. However, she did not wish to vex him by asking for further explanation.

"Well, I believe I must be returning home now. My mother is surely expecting me."

"If you could spare me one moment more, I'd like to ask you something."

Elizabeth was intrigued by this and wondered if it again dealt with Mr. Wickham. When she nodded her head in response to Darcy, he appeared a bit nervous.

"If you are not yet engaged, I would like to request your hand for the first set at Bingley's ball."

"I would normally tease you that I certainly could not be engaged for the first set yet since we only received the invitation yesterday. However, since two of my sisters are already promised for the first dance, I do not believe that it is too unbelievable that I might also have a partner. Luckily, in this case, I do not. Thank you, I would be honored to dance with you sir."

The relief was evident on his face at her response.

"Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. I will be looking forward to it."

At that, she finally started down the hill to return home. Elizabeth was thankful for the cool morning air hoping that her blush would fade before she reached Longbourn.

**A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You might notice that I'm very close to the 100 mark so PLEASE give me some feedback or make some suggestions about the story. If those of you who have this story on alert or marked as your favorite write a review, then I'll be well into the three digits. Thanks again for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The days leading up to the ball at Netherfield flew past in a whirlwind of preparations. Finally, the morning of the ball arrived and all in the Bennet household were filled with excitement over the evening to come.

Shortly after breakfast, Lizzy and Jane returned to their room to finalize which ribbons would adorn their hair. When they descended again, they were met with an unusual sight. Mrs. Bennet, Kitty and Lydia were huddled together beside the closed doors of the parlor, giggling.

"What is this?" Lizzy asked quietly.

Mrs. Bennet was about to respond when the doors suddenly opened. The women turned with wide eyes at being caught; however, Mr. Collins stood with such a look of happiness that all other concerns were forgot.

"My dear family. I am very pleased to inform you that your beloved sister Mary has made me the happiest of men this morning by consenting to be my wife."

Mary quietly came forward from the parlor and took Mr. Collins' hand.

"Praise the Lord for that!" cried Mrs. Bennet as she began to shower the couple with her congratulations. The remaining sisters quickly added their own sentiments. Mr. Collins excused himself to meet with Mr. Bennet in his study while the women returned to the parlor.

Elizabeth had never seen Mary more content than she appeared to be at that moment with their mama showering her with attention and approval.

By the time Mrs. Bennet's enthusiasm died down, it was time to prepare for the ball. This was no small feat considering the house contained five daughters and only one ladies maid.

Netherfield Hall was surrounded by magic. The skies were clear and adorned with stars just as Netherfield was decorated with blazing lanterns and music flowing from within. The Bennet's arrived and were greeted by their host who appeared even more jovial after their arrival, if such a thing was possible. Elizabeth and Jane slowly walked into the ballroom and, as they were appreciating how lovely it looked, were joined by Charlotte.

"I believe you have already had quite an exciting day. I must find Mary and congratulate her."

"My, word of an engagement certainly flies quickly." Lizzy laughed.

"Of course it does. What else is there to discuss?" Charlotte teased back.

The three friends conversed until Elizabeth noticed that the room had become quiet. As she looked around, she saw that all eyes were on their little party. She was surprised to see that Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy had joined them without her realizing it. 

"Miss Bennet, are you ready to open the ball?" Mr. Bingley asked Jane with a glowing smile.

Jane took his arm and walked to the center of the room.

"Shall we, Miss Elizabeth?" Mr. Darcy asked with his hand extended.

As she walked with him, Elizabeth could not help but blush at the attention that the rest of the room was giving her and her dance partner. She should not have been surprised. Mr. Darcy was normally a handsome man but was absolutely striking when formally attired. She had also only informed Jane that Mr. Darcy had requested the first set. She could feel her mama staring at her they walked past towards the dance line up.

The dance commenced. Her confidence had yet to return as Mr. Darcy gently took her hand to follow the steps.

"I hope that you are well this evening, Miss Elizabeth."

"Yes, quite well, thank you."

After silently following the flowing movements of the dance, Elizabeth spoke again.

"How is your sister, Mr. Darcy? Still enjoying her time with your aunt, I hope?"

He seemed to relax a bit at the topic and responded.

"She is very well, thank you for asking. I believe she is exhausting my aunt with her insatiable appetite for shopping. Her last letter was full of her recent purchases for the upcoming holiday season."

"Yes, I can believe that shopping in Town for the holidays would be pleasant. Will she join you here for Christmas?"

His smile faltered a bit at that.

"No, that will not be possible."

"Then, you will be celebrating with her in Town?"

He met her eyes and his face softened as he replied.

"My plans are not yet fixed. I may remain here to celebrate with… Bingley."

His eyes never left her own and she finally glanced down as they continued to follow the steps. When their dances ended, Mr. Darcy led her back to her parents. They chatted for a few moments and Elizabeth shared some of her childhood holiday memories. They both laughed when she spoke of her ongoing anger toward St. Nicolas one year since she did not receive the gray pony that she had hoped for.

As he was bowing over her hand, he glanced up and asked, "Are you available for the supper set, Miss Elizabeth?"

She was so caught up in the feeling of him softly holding her hand, that all she could do was nod in response.

"Until then." And he turned to leave their party.

"Oh Lizzy! I knew that you could do it! Imagine, 10,000 a year! Mary is as good as married, Jane will be shortly and now you have caught the attention of Mr. Darcy! Why, he's as good as a lord!"

"Mama, hush please." Elizabeth was mortified that her mother spoke such nonsense so loudly. Her mother just patted her hand and quickly made her way to Lady Lucas to share her great fortune.

The evening of dancing continued and Elizabeth did not lack for partners. Her dances with Mr. Bingley were full of jokes and discussing a favorite of both of them, namely Jane. John Lucas and Lieutenant Denny were also pleasant partners. She was less thrilled with her dance with Mr. Collins; however, he would soon be her brother and she made the effort to restrain her laughter.

Throughout all of these dances and conversations, she found that her mind did not stray far from her first partner of the evening. Occasionally, she would be thinking about him holding her hand and her fingers would begin to tingle. Each time she looked out into the crowd as she danced and spotted his tall figure, she found that his eyes were already upon her.

Finally, it was the supper dance. Mr. Darcy once again led her to the dance floor.

"You must forgive me Miss Elizabeth."

"For what could you require forgiveness, sir?" Elizabeth asked with a puzzled expression.

"I only just realized that I have yet to tell you how beautiful you look this evening. Please forgive my tardiness."

Elizabeth blushed crimson at his compliment.

"Have you enjoyed your evening so far?"

"Yes, I have. It has been a delightful ball. And you, Mr. Darcy, are you enjoying the evening? I noticed that you have not danced much."

He smiled at this statement. Elizabeth realized too late that she just acknowledged watching his movements throughout the evening.

"I am not a great dancer, Miss Elizabeth. However, I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the dances that I did join tonight."

He looked into her eyes again and began to say, "You must know…"

Elizabeth could feel her pulse speed up and saw nothing but his eyes starting back at her. Before he finished his sentence, something appeared to catch his eye behind her. His face registered shock and then what looked like pain before becoming a mask of indifference.

Before Elizabeth could ask what was wrong, the music ended and the couples began making their way out of the ballroom into the great room for dinner.

"I apologize but you must excuse me." Darcy stated in a distant voice and he left Elizabeth in the middle of the dance floor completely confused.

She was so stunned by his sudden departure, that she only barely registered Bingley's voice not far away.

"Caroline! I am so glad that you were able to make it!"

**A/N: Don't hate me…here comes the angst train! A big thank you to everyone who read & reviewed the last chapter. I love your comments & suggestions!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Lizzy seemed to be in a fog as dinner progressed. By the time her shock at Darcy's abrupt departure had worn off, the first course of dinner was already being served. She slowly made her way to the table alone to take a seat across from her sister Jane. Mr. Bingley made the introductions between the Bennet sisters and his sisters and brother-in-law. Elizabeth now chanced a look at the elegant woman named Caroline. It was easy to do since there was an empty seat between them.

Caroline was elegant and beautiful and appeared less than thrilled with her current dinner companions. She barely deigned to acknowledge Jane and Lizzy before immediately turning back to Charles.

"I apologize for our late arrival Charles. We were delayed at our last stop and then needed to refresh ourselves a bit."

"No need for apologies, Caro, I'm just glad that you are here at last. I am sure that Netherfield will be much improved now that you are able to provide a woman's touch. Miss Bennet and I were just discussing that a house is not complete without a Mistress to care for it."

Caroline narrowed her eyes as she saw the look that passed between her brother and Jane.

"Yes, well, it is good that I have arrived in time…to provide assistance, that is."

She took a sip of wine and then continued.

"Where is Mr. Darcy this evening, Charles? I know of his aversion to dancing but I'm surprised not to see him at dinner."

Bingley look a bit confused and then looked to Elizabeth.

"I do not know where he has escaped to. Miss Elizabeth, did Darcy mention anything during your dance? I expected him to join you at dinner since you were partnered last."

This statement garnered the attention of both Bingley's sisters as they turned to Elizabeth with scrutinizing stares. She was determined not to appear affected and raised her head to respond to Mr. Bingley.

"No, sir. Mr. Darcy did not say where he was off to."

As she continued to focus on her plate, Elizabeth could feel Caroline's eyes upon her.

Jane broke the silence by asking Caroline how she had enjoyed her time in London. The conversation carried on from there until the last course was served and the ball continued.

As the Bennet family left in the early hours of the morning, the occupants of the coach were still full of the events of the evening. The newly engaged couple feeling secure and hopeful of the future. Two girls full of romantic thoughts featuring men in uniform. A mother pleased yet anxious about her daughters' matrimonial prospects. A father exhausted from making inane small talk with small-minded people. A sweet eldest sister who was delighted to have met her suitor's amiable sisters. So caught up in their own musings, no one noticed the one unusually quiet, melancholy sister who was confused and terrified to acknowledge the pain in her heart.

Two days, it had only been two days since the Netherfield ball yet Darcy felt that a lifetime had past since he held a ray of sunshine in his hand. The moment that his eye caught sight of Caroline, it all came crashing back on him. He retired to his room to escape greeting his soon-to-be-betrothed.

As the weight of his actions settled upon him, he cursed himself. How had he allowed himself to become so infatuated with her? She was nothing but a country gentleman's daughter…no connections, no fortune, to speak of. But he could not forget the sparkle in her eyes as she challenged him while they discussed poetry or the love and concern she had for her sister when she fell ill or the way his skin tingled long after he had relinquished her hand after a dance.

No, he would drive himself mad if he continued to think of her. He must remember Georgiana. He had failed her last summer when he was not vigilant enough to protect her from Wickham so now he must do everything in his power to ensure the happiness of his sister, even if that means sacrificing any hope of happiness of his own.

Yes, it was fortunate that Caroline arrived when she did. He had let things progress farther than he intended to with Elizabeth. Had his actions continued in the same direction then surely expectations would be raised. How different his life would have been had he arrived in Hertfordshire free of this farce of a betrothal.

Darcy had spent the remainder of the evening of the ball drinking away his sorrows in the privacy of his bedchamber. He only ventured to the window to peer out into the night as the last coach was being loaded with its tired occupants.

Now, two days later, he was attempting to pull himself together. He must conquer this weakness and accept his fate.

"Ah, Darcy, I am glad that you have joined us. No early ride again today then? I hope that you are well, my friend. I have never seen you alter your habits so much in the past."

"I am fine, Charles, but appreciate your concern."

"Glad to hear it. Perhaps I could persuade you to join me in London tomorrow? I have a few errands that require my presence in Town but will return in three days time."

Charles' vague comment alluding to some errands caught Caroline's attention.

"Charles, pray what business has you leaving for Town just after Louisa and I have arrived?"

A wide grin spread across his face as Charles turned to answer his sister.

"If you must know, dear sister, I am in need of a special token for someone who has become very dear to my heart."

Louisa gasped but Caroline immediately launched into battle.

"Charles, must you fall in love with every unsuitable maiden in the kingdom? This is ridiculous. Stay here while Louisa and I tend to setting up the household in a more appropriate manner and then we can all return to London next week. I am sure that your 'dear one' will have no trouble finding new prey after you have left for the holidays."

With that scathing remark, she resumed sipping her tea and sent a satisfied smile to her sister.

Charles was astonished by his sister's comments and wasted no time in addressing it.

"I know that I have not always been constant in the past but, truly Caroline, I am certain that this is love. She is an angel! Such a sweet temperament and pure kindness itself. I am determined to make Miss Jane Bennet my wife."

"Jane Bennet? The young woman who sat at our table during dinner at the ball?" Louisa asked.

Before Charles could reply in the affirmative, Caroline cut in.

"The same Jane Bennet who comes from a family with no male heirs of their own and the estate entailed away? I have heard enough of that family of social climbers. Surely you can see that they are only after your money Charles? What claims does Jane have beyond her beauty? Connections? I have heard of none and, believe me, I had to suffer through enough conversation that night with Mrs. Long and Lady Lucas to know the social situation of every person within Meryton!"

Louisa laughed at this while Caroline turned an exasperated look toward Darcy.

"Mr. Darcy, you have been with Charles these many weeks. What is your opinion on the matter? Certainly you agree that he can make a much better match than a penniless daughter of a country gentleman?"

Darcy was stunned to hear his own words repeated by one he loathed.

"I would not attempt to counsel Bingley on matters of the heart, Madam."

He thought that his response would put Caroline in her place but she just smiled at his words and then continued to discourage her brother from making a rash decision.

"Charles, you know that Louisa and I only want your happiness. But, you are acting so hasty. You have only known this girl a short time. I truly believe you will benefit from time away to think clearly about this important decision."

As Caroline, Louisa and Hurst exited the breakfast room; Darcy could see that her words had hit their mark with Bingley. He appeared deep in thought so Darcy also left the room.

"Mr. Darcy, would you join me in a stroll about the garden?"

Darcy was not surprised that Caroline was waiting to intercept him as he left the breakfast room. He had been avoiding her at all costs since her arrival. Unfortunately, it appeared she would have her say at last. He nodded his head as they moved toward the doors.

Once they had walked a sufficient distance from the house, Caroline began.

"I was sorry that we were unable to dance at the ball when I arrived. It was quite heartless of you to disappear like that."

He chuckled at her acting the victim.

"My apologies, Madam, but I was suddenly unable to enjoy the festivities." He ground out between his teeth.

She seemed taken aback by the harshness of his response.

"I see that you have yet to embrace the change in our relationship. It is no matter. I know that you will uphold your end of the deal. Regarding that, I need you to return to London with me next week. There are several functions during the holiday season that I would like to attend and I believe it is the perfect time to begin our public courting."

Darcy absent-mindedly nodded. He knew that his time away from her was short. That would be one benefit once this wedding took place. He could then stay away from her as much as he pleased. Caroline's next comment drew his full attention.

"I also need you to convince my brother to return to London for the holiday season."

"I see no reason to do any such thing."

"You will do as I ask. Would you have him throw himself away on a nobody? I did not work this hard to raise our status to have Charles throw it all away for a beautiful face. Tell him that as the head of our family, he must consider MY matrimonial prospects when making such a decision. Do what you must but ensure that he returns to London and stays there."

With that, she turned back to the house and did not spare him a backwards glance.

Bingley decided to delay his errands until the following week so that he could join his sisters and then return to Netherfield on his own. The night before the entire household was to depart for London, Bingley and Darcy were together in the study.

Bingley had been second-guessing himself ever since Caroline had made her displeasure known about his choice in wife. He was anxious for Darcy to give his opinion on the matter but he had been resolutely tight-lipped on the subject. Bingley decided to ask once more for his friend's counsel.

"Come, Darce, tell me if you think that I'm being selfish in my choice. Caroline and Louisa have both said that I would be marrying low and even hurting Caroline's prospects by making a match with Jane. Do you agree? I just can't imagine my life without her. I know that this has happened quickly but I truly have lost my heart to her."

Charles appeared bereft at the thought of giving Jane up. Darcy had refrained from making comment due to Caroline's staunch opposition to the match. However, after hearing the heartbreak in his friend, he could no longer hold his tongue. His anger at his own situation as well as the pain Caroline was inflicting on her brother bubbled to the surface. He quickly drained his glass and turned to his friend with fire in his eyes.

"Bingley, if you truly love Miss Bennet then do not allow anyone or anything get in the way of making her your wife!"

Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Also, do not concern yourself with Caroline's prospects. I have a feeling that they are quite good regardless of your decision in this matter."

Bingley was stunned at his friend's vehement comments. He was momentarily confused by the second statement but was so relieved to have support in his decision that he could not help but smile in relief.

"Thank you, you are a good friend Darcy. Are you sure that you won't join me when I return to Netherfield? I would be happy for the company for the holidays since my sisters are set on celebrating in Town this year."

With a sullen look, Darcy replied, "No, I will unfortunately be otherwise engaged."

**A/N: Thanks so much for the amazing response to the last chapter! You all really hate Caroline! A big thank you to Gayle for the Rec too! Again, I love to hear your thoughts on the chapter so R & R. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Elizabeth and Jane strolled through the shops at Meryton searching for a few more trinkets for their younger sisters. Christmas was upon them and their spirits were lifted as the joyful holiday approached.

In the past month, the Bennet household had been eventful. Mr. Collins had left for Hunsford to inform Lady Catherine de Bourgh of his impending nuptials as well as to prepare for the arrival of his bride. He would return to Longbourn on Christmas Eve and the wedding would take place before the New Year.

Mr. Bingley had returned from Town, as promised, after just 3 days and immediately arrived at Longbourn to request the privilege of courting the eldest Miss Bennet. Although this news was not a surprise, everyone was pleased for Jane.

Now, with only a few days before Christmas, Jane and Lizzy were completing their errands before their Uncle and Aunt Gardiner arrived this evening from Town. Jane had been so wrapped up in her own happiness that she had only just realized how reserved and quiet Lizzy had been recently. As they walked back towards home, she decided to broach this subject.

"Are you well Lizzy? You have not seemed yourself of late."

"Hmmm", Lizzy barely responded.

"Come, Lizzy, won't you confide in me? What has happened to cause you such sadness?"

After a long pause, Elizabeth finally answered with a small smile to Jane.

"Perhaps I am already pining the upcoming loss of my dearest sister."

"Oh, Lizzy. You know that we shall always remain close."

Jane leaned over to hug her sister and then whispered, "And do not believe for a moment that you have fooled me. I know that there is something darkening the light in your eyes. However, I shall be patient and just say that I will be here whenever you are ready to speak of it."

With that said, the sisters continued home in a companionable silence.

_Meanwhile in London…_

"Richard!"

"Why, hello to you too Georgie-girl! I am glad to see that someone has enough holiday cheer to welcome me."

He gently hugged his young cousin and then looked about the room.

"And where is your brother this evening?"

Georgiana's face fell a bit and then she quietly answered as she sat down again.

"He is at the theatre. With Miss Bingley and the Hursts."

"Ah, then Bingley has already returned from his new home in the country. I am surprised that he did not wish to celebrate there this year; however, London does have its share of holiday amusements."

"No, you are mistaken cousin. Mr. Bingley remains at his new home, Netherfield, in Hertfordshire."

Colonel Fitzwilliam appeared puzzled at this.

"Truly? Then why would Darce spend the evening with that…I mean, with Bingley's sisters? I probably should not speak so in front of you Georgie-girl, but surely you know that your brother only tolerates Bingley's sisters company for his friend's sake."

"Will ESCORTED Miss Bingley to the theatre!" Georgiana finally said exasperatedly.

Richard did not recover from his shock before Georgiana continued.

"I only mention this because you yourself just stated his aversion to Miss Bingley. I don't understand it Richard. Will has not been himself since he returned from Hertfordshire. And he has recently escorted Miss Bingley to several functions even though I know that he has been miserable doing it. Has he perhaps mentioned anything to you?"

Richard shook his head as he considered what his cousin could be up to. He made up his mind to question him as soon as possible.

"Well, I am sure that Darce has his reasons."

"Do you think that he is still angry with me?" She said in a small voice.

"Not at all, Georgie-girl. Your brother and I are inordinately proud of you. I am sure it is some boring bit of business troubling him. Do not worry yourself, my dear."

Georgiana sighed and stood.

"I will try. Now, if you will excuse me a moment, I will inform Cook that you will join me for supper. You will join me for supper, won't you?"

Richard smiled and responded, "Of course I will. In fact, if you do not mind, I believe that I shall even stay a few nights."

"Oh, I'm so glad. I'll be sure that you're regular room is prepared as well then."

Georgiana quickly left the room.

Later that night, Colonel Fitzwilliam sat in the study enjoying another glass of Scotch as he pondered Darcy's recent strange behavior that Georgiana had spoken of earlier in the day. He had just stood to refresh his drink when he heard noises in the hall. He walked to the door in time to catch Darcy's eye as he removed his great coat.

"Ah, Fitz, I apologize for not being here to greet you earlier. I had an engagement for the theatre tonight."

The Colonel did not respond but continued study his cousin's appearance. Darcy moved towards him and they entered the study. The Colonel filled a glass for his cousin before refilling his own. As he handed Darcy the Scotch, he finally spoke.

"I was shocked to find that you were off at the theatre when you knew that I was to arrive today. I have known you to use a less momentous family event to break a social commitment. Has the great reclusive Darcy recently developed a greater love for mixing with the Ton?"

With downcast eyes, Darcy responded, "Not at all", before finishing his drink.

"Perhaps it is another love then that has drawn you out of your comfortable shell?"

The Colonel had expected his cousin to laugh or at least quickly refute any such thing. When Darcy's only response was to stand to refill his glass, Col. Fitzwilliam was intrigued.

Darcy leaned against the mantle and stared into the fire as he spoke.

"I have been thinking a great deal about how best to help Georgiana overcome this oppressive melancholy that has settled upon her since last summer."

"She seemed perfectly fine this evening. Perhaps a bit more reserved than she once was; however, I believe that with time she will regain her confidence in herself." The Colonel responded somewhat confused by the turn in the conversation. He decided to push his cousin a bit.

"In fact, Georgiana seemed quite concerned over you Darce. It sounds as if you are the melancholy Darcy in the house."

Darcy looked up sharply at his cousin's words.

"What's that? Why would Georgiana be concerned over me?"

"She claims that you have been out of sorts since your trip to Hertfordshire and acting quite out of character. I must say that I agree with her. Tell me, who did you attend the theatre with this evening?"

Darcy's eyes narrowed as he responded, "You know very well that I escorted Miss Bingley or you would not ask such a question."

"Now cousin, you must tell me what has possessed you to spend time with that social-climbing harpy! I know that you have long since kept your distance from her to dissuade any notions of grandeur she might have of joining our family so why would you possibly attend the theatre without her brother to escort her?"

A pained expression crossed Darcy's face before he sighed and put his glass back on the table.

"It is of no importance. It is late, I shall see you in the morning."

"Very well then, good-night. I look forward to revisiting this topic when you are prepared to discuss it. Now, get some sleep Darce, you look fearsome."

They both chuckled and then retired for the night.

**A/N: So sorry for the late update. Big thanks to Palvotrisia for helping me to decide which direction to go with the ending of the story. Hoping to have the updates coming weekly from now on. Thanks again to everyone for all of the comments & reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

April – Hunsford, Kent

Lizzy stared out the window of the post coach to take in as many sights of the passing landscape as possible. She had rarely been afforded the opportunity for travel beyond the few trips to London to stay with her uncle and aunt Gardiner. She felt that this journey into Kent was exactly what she needed to start anew.

Her childhood home had already begun to change due to Mary's marriage and subsequent removal to Hunsford. Elizabeth knew that further changes were on the horizon. It was only a matter of time before Bingley proposed to Jane. The thought caused a small stab at Elizabeth's heart; however, she was pleased beyond words that Jane had found her happiness.

Thinking of Jane's new found love also brought Elizabeth's own disappointment back to mind. She had done her best to bury it deep within after he left with nary a word of goodbye. With each attempt by her mother to discover if there was still hope, Elizabeth built the wall around her heart a little higher and outwardly laughed as she assured her mother that there had never been any hope in that quarter.

Once the holidays had past, her family finally ceased their questioning. Lizzy had done an admirable job of putting on a happy face during their calls to neighbors; that is, until Mr. Bingley unwittingly brought up his friend's name again. It seems that Mr. Darcy had been enjoying all of the diversions that the season had to offer this year. According to Mr. Bingley, this was very out-of-character for his good friend. When Mrs. Bennet asked if perhaps a lady had caught his friend's eye, Mr. Bingley quickly glanced in Elizabeth's direction and then responded that Mr. Darcy had only been seen attending these functions with Mr. Bingley's own family. The subject was changed directly and Elizabeth did her best to remain in the drawing room just long enough so as to avoid any suspicion of her feelings.

Now, as she drew closer to her sister's new home, she resolved to put this pain behind her. She would not continue to pine for a man who had not deigned to say goodbye and went directly to new enjoyments without a backwards glance.

Elizabeth felt the carriage slow and looked up to see Mary and Mr. Collins waiting for her beside the small gate in front of their home. The landscape surrounding the small cottage was well manicured and would be beautiful when the flowers were in full bloom.

"Oh Lizzy! I am so glad that you have come at last!"

Lizzy smiled brightly as Mary rushed to embrace her sister and held her tightly. She could see that her younger sister had truly missed her and she realized that Mary must have experienced some homesickness since she was never one to travel away from home. When the sisters finally parted, Mr. Collins greeted his sister-in-law.

"Yes, welcome dear sister to our humble abode. I hope that you will not find it too humble. Lady Catherine herself has stated that our cottage is perfectly comfortable for those of our station. I am sure that you will agree for Lady Catherine is most knowledgeable…"

"Yes, my dear, I am sure that Lizzy will be sufficiently comfortable once she has actually entered our home. Let us not delay any longer on this path. Come Lizzy, I want to hear all of the news from home."

The sisters turned to enter the house leaving Mr. Collins to follow behind them.

Elizabeth had been at Hunsford for almost a week and had truly enjoyed her time there. Mary seemed to have blossomed with her newly married status. She was a very capable mistress of the house and performed her duties with precision and a smile. Mary was especially busy in the mornings, which suited Elizabeth perfectly since there were various scenic paths in the surrounding area to ramble the time away. Their afternoons were spent together at the pianoforte or browsing the local shops or discussing the books they were currently reading.

It was during such an afternoon as this that Elizabeth finally met the revered Lady Catherine. The sisters were conversing pleasantly while completing some knitting for the poor box at church when they were interrupted by the arrival of Lady Catherine and her daughter, Anne. When the introductions had been performed and the ladies seated, the inquisition began.

"So, you are Elizabeth Bennet. I have heard much of you from your sister. How do you find your stay in Hunsford?"

"Very pleasant, my Lady."

"Well, I should think so. You couldn't have traveled much. I understand that Mary had rarely visited beyond the boundaries of Hertfordshire prior to her marriage to Mr. Collins."

"That is true, Lady Catherine. However, I have had the opportunity to visit London several times. I find that I prefer the quiet beauty of the country to the bustle of town though both offer their own advantages."

"I have always been a great advocate for vigorous activity while in the country. A brisk ten minute walk in the morning is most beneficial for a healthy constitution." The great lady stated in a most imperious voice.

"That is no issue with our Lizzy. She can be found walking for hours enjoying God's creation in nature." Mary added with a smile.

Lady Catherine as well as her quiet daughter Anne both looked horrified at this.

"What! That will not do. No, not at all Miss Bennet. You must restrict yourself to a short walk on clear days only. It is the worst possible thing to damage your young constitution in such a way."

Elizabeth fought hard to keep down the smirk at the Lady's conflicting words of wisdom. The conversation then turned to Mary's inadequate management of their fowl and how best to obtain more eggs this spring.

After this first meeting, the party of Hunsford was issued several invitations for tea and to dine at Rosings over the course of the next two weeks. Lady Catherine proved to be all that Elizabeth had imagined. She was full of her own importance and felt that her money and title gave her the right to dole out counsel to any and everyone within her own kingdom of Rosings. She was especially exacting in her instruction to the Collins' regarding everything from household staff to the Sunday sermons. Mary handled this unwanted advice with aplomb and seemed to know exactly how to respond without giving offense. Mr. Collins just dabbed at his sweaty brow while pledging to follow every morsel of advice to the letter.

Elizabeth found a surprising friend in the quiet Miss de Bourgh. Anne's appearance was sickly and fragile in nature; however, she was unexpectedly sensible when she was able to converse while out of the scrutiny of her mother.

It was a few days before Easter and Mary and Elizabeth had joined the ladies of Rosings for tea. Lady Catherine was occupied discussing a local pregnant woman with Mary, which allowed Elizabeth and Anne to have their own conversation.

"Miss Bennet, have you heard from your family since you have arrived?" Anne enquired.

"Yes, my sister Jane has written me. I actually expect another letter from her soon since she has yet to reply to my reponse."

"You are very close then?"

"Yes, while I would like to think I am close with all of my sisters, I must say that Jane is my best friend."

"How lovely it would be to have sisters. I have often thought so. I have several cousins; however, those of my age are male and do not often visit. Although, my cousins Darcy and Fitzwilliam do come annually, we are not close."

"Do you not correspond with Georgiana then?" Elizabeth asked without first giving thought to it.

"Ah, I have forgotten that you are acquainted with my cousin Darcy. In answer to your question, yes, I do correspond with Georgiana. She is a dear girl yet still quite young. How was my cousin when you last saw him? I know that he can appear quite haughty; however, I know him to be awkward in new company. We share that trait."

Elizabeth kindly smiled at Anne, "He was perfectly amiable as you have been."

"I am glad to hear it. Perhaps he is changing his ways."

Anne glanced towards her mother to confirm that she was still preoccupied with her conversation before lowering her voice to say, "I believe that my cousin may have finally fallen in love."

Elizabeth could not help the gasp that escaped her but Anne did not noticed and continued.

"My mother was recently very upset regarding some news that arrived from Town. Darcy apparently was very busy this season and attended several high society functions while escorting a young woman. It is being said that a marriage is surely expected since Darcy has never before shown such preference. Her name is Miss Bingley."

"I have met her." Elizabeth dejectedly whispered.

"You have? I have not had the pleasure but, based on the subtle hints from my cousin Georgiana, I'm sure that she's simply awful."

They were startled out of their tete-a-tete when Lady Catherine's booming voice could be heard.

"What is it you are speaking with Miss Bennet about Anne? You are speaking so quietly that I cannot make it out. I must have my share in the conversation."

"I was just suggesting that Miss Bennet walk the path besides the brook tomorrow morning since the weather should be fine." Anne replied smoothly and smiled towards Elizabeth.

The next morning found Elizabeth sitting beside the brook with a letter in hand. She was exhausted after a sleepless night. Although a letter from Jane had arrived while they were at Rosings, Lizzy had retired to her room claiming a headache. Anne's gossip regarding Mr. Darcy's supposed attachment to Miss Bingley completed the puzzle. He had left shortly after her arrival to Hertfordshire. Why, he had left her standing on the dance floor when he saw Miss Bingley arrive! This must also be the reason that Mr. Bingley looked so sheepish when saying that Mr. Darcy was enjoying his time in London. _Mr. Bingley must know that I admired his friend! How mortifying! _Elizabeth thought.

Now, Lizzy was tired and in great need of her elder sister's comfort so she escaped to the solitude of the brook to read the latest letter from Jane. As she broke the seal and began to read, her own troubles were momentarily forgotten as she learned that Jane was engaged to Mr. Bingley. Her true happiness over this joyful event showed on her face. The sincere smile was still firmly in place as she looked up to find that she was no longer alone.

"Mr. Darcy!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"_Mr. Darcy!"_ Elizabeth exclaimed. The gentleman was so moved by finally seeing her again, and with that intoxicating smile, that he could not utter a word of greeting. When her shock erased the smile from her face, he was finally released from his stupor and spoke.

"Good Morning, Miss Elizabeth. I see that your habits continue though you cross county lines."

"Yes, so it seems." Though she was startled by his appearance, Elizabeth did her best to conceal the upheaval of her emotions upon seeing him again.

Silence lingered as Darcy continued to gaze at Elizabeth and she continued to avoid that gaze.

"I trust that your family is well?" He said as he glanced towards the letter in her hand.

"Why, yes, they are well, thank you."

Again, silence. Darcy was beginning to think that meeting her alone was not ideal after all.

"Well then, I'll not interrupt your solitude. If you will excuse me, I will leave you to your letter."

He slowly began his retreat, disappointment clearly showing on his face. Elizabeth was at war with herself. She was still so hurt and angry by his sudden departure in the fall; however, her heart would not allow her to let him walk away.

"Mr. Darcy," she whispered.

He stopped in his tracks and looked up with such hope on his face that she could not help but smile.

"Sir, I do not prefer solitude to conversation with a friend."

He returned her smile at that and replied, "Then, if you will permit me, I will join you."

He offered her his arm and then they continued down the path together.

"I was unaware that you would be visiting your aunt during my stay here."

"Yes, well, we were unsure if we could make the trip this Easter. My cousin, Col. Fitzwilliam and I normally visit every spring."

He did not expound on the reasons for his possible delay or his sudden appearance so she decided to change the topic.

"How is your sister?" she asked.

"Georgiana is quite well, thank you. She remains in London until I fetch her so that we may travel to Pemberley together. And, your sisters, are they all home or do they travel as well?"

"Actually, my sister Lydia is also away from home. She was thrilled beyond reason to travel to Brighton as the personal guest of Mrs. Forster. I believe you met the Forster's while you were in Hertfordshire? When the regiment removed, Lydia was heart-broken until the invitation arrived and then there was no peace to be had until my father acquiesced and gave his permission."

Darcy looked thoughtful at this information and Elizabeth could only assume that he, like her, did not think it wise for her young and often foolish sister to travel without her parents. Though she loved her papa dearly, she knew that he would always take the path that caused the least amount of trouble to himself when parenting. She sighed at the thought and then decided to bring up a much more pleasant topic.

"Perhaps I am ruining a great surprise but you can blame my uncontainable joy as excuse if pressed in the future. I shall soon call your friend, Mr. Bingley, brother."

"I am very pleased to hear it is so. I will admit, I am not surprised by such an announcement. Bingley long ago made his preference for your sister known to me. They are well suited and I am sure that they will be happy. I have not had much opportunity recently to speak with Bingley since he remained at Netherfield."

It seemed that both of their thoughts turned towards their time in Hertfordshire together since the conversation stalled once again. Elizabeth finally gained enough courage to broach the subject that was forefront in her mind.

"You left Netherfield rather abruptly last autumn."

Although she was looking down, Darcy could hear the hurt in her voice as she made this statement. The reminder of his rash behavior and realization that it caused her pain was an arrow through his heart. He stopped their walking and turned to look at her fully.

"Miss Bennet…Elizabeth, please, I would ask your forgiveness for my rude manner of leaving. I was overwhelmed by certain events and did not think clearly. It was wrong of me to not properly take leave of my friends in Hertfordshire when I felt so welcome there."

He hoped that he conveyed his feelings through this apology. As he waited for a response, Elizabeth continued to look off into the woods in silence. When she finally turned towards him, there was a hint of fire in her eyes.

"Sir, that is the second time that you have called me by my Christian name and I must asked that you desist. I have not given you leave to take such liberties."

Darcy was completely taken aback by her vehemence. He had expected her to understand but only saw hurt and anger. Before he could defend himself, she continued.

"You call me friend yet left me standing alone in the ballroom and without a partner for dinner. Then you had not the decency to call prior to leaving the county indefinitely. I would not expect such behavior from a gentleman and certainly not from a friend. I had thought…but it is of no consequence. I understand that you will make a similar announcement as your friend Bingley soon."

Elizabeth finally stopped and looked away. Before she could blush from exhibiting such forwardness, Darcy grasped both of her hands and willed her to look at him.

"You thought correctly. In vain have I struggled, it will not do. You must allow me to tell you that I love you, most ardently."

And with that, he closed the distance between them and claimed her lips in their first kiss. Elizabeth was powerless to refuse him and soon reciprocated his kisses. For Darcy, the floodgates had opened and he was finally allowing himself to act on the feelings that he had been trying to overcome these many months.

When they finally broke apart from the kiss, Elizabeth looked into his eyes and whispered, "I don't understand. Why did you leave me if you feel this way?"

"Please, have a seat and I will tell all. It is an awful tale but I cannot continue knowing that you have reason to doubt my feelings for you."

Elizabeth sat on a nearby log and tried to calm herself to hear out the man before her. She had pushed her own feelings down so deep that it was difficult to accept his actions and words of love. Darcy paced as she waited patiently for him to begin.

"Elizabeth, I…gah, this is difficult. I must first tell you about a horrible incident involving my sister, Georgiana, which took place last summer at Ramsgate. I had given her permission to travel there for the summer with her companion. Unbeknownst to me, our father's late steward's son was also in Ramsgate and began courting my sister. I tried to shelter Georgiana from the harsher aspects of life; therefore, she was unaware of this man's completely immoral behavior, which caused me to cut ties with him some years before. Ere long, he had convinced Georgiana that she was in love with him and suggested they elope."

Elizabeth gasped at this and was about to interrupt when he continued.

"Fear not, I arrived to check on my sister the day before the planned elopement and put a stop to it. It was plain to see that he was only after her inheritance for, once I made it clear that her dowry was only released upon my approval of her marriage, he left without a word to Georgiana. She was devastated and still suffers the effects of such heartbreak."

He paused and then whispered, "The man who did this was Mr. Wickham, whom you met in Hertfordshire."

Elizabeth startled and then did speak.

"This is the cause for your reaction to him then. What an awful cad. I am glad that he did no harm in Hertfordshire before the regiment moved on."

"Yes, that was a concern of mine as well which is why I went to his commanding officer and informed him of Wickham's penchant for debauchery. In order to protect Georgiana's reputation, I could not divulge details regarding the attempted elopement; however, I did inform him of the many gambling as well as debts to the shopkeepers that Wickham left behind in Derbyshire. Colonel Forster assured me that he would keep a close eye on him and would not allow any of his officers to shame the regiment with such behavior."

Elizabeth nodded but then looked at him expectantly knowing that there was more to this tale.

"As you can imagine, I have done everything possible to preserve Georgiana's reputation. The only people who I told of the incident are my cousins Richard, who is Georgiana's co-guardian, and my cousin Anne, who is a faithful female correspondent to Georgiana and now you. Unfortunately, my thoughtless actions have led to Georgiana's possible ruin."

"Prior to coming to Netherfield with Bingley last autumn, I wrote a letter to Richard referring to Georgiana's continued despondency after the Ramsgate affair. I left this letter, unsealed, on my desk. Miss Bingley found the letter and read it and is now demanding that I marry her or else she will spread the scandalous news among the ton. They would tear my sister apart."

As the import of his words sunk in, Elizabeth stared in shock at Darcy.

"Then, it is true. You are engaged to Miss Bingley?" she whispered.

"What could I do? Georgiana does not deserve to pay for an indiscretion made at the age of 15! I went along with Miss Bingley's plan to protect my sister. I thought that I could resign myself to such a fate knowing that it would allow my sister to live a happy life. I know not what to do. I never imagined that I would find my heart's desire in Hertfordshire. I tried to remove myself and fight it but I cannot fool myself any longer. I love you Elizabeth and I cannot give you up."

He was on his knees before her, holding tightly to her hands as he said this. She had tears streaming down her face as she began to speak.

"How could you? How could you do this to me? Knowing that you could not act on such feelings, why did you continue to show me preference? Why did you dance with me? Why did you make me fall in love with you?"

She quickly pulled her hands away and rose. Darcy was desperate to keep her with him and make her understand.

"I never meant to hurt you, I love you more than life itself. I would give up anything to be with you Elizabeth, anything. I will find a way to fix this. I must find a way to protect Georgiana from Miss Bingley's wrath but, I swear to God, I will not go on in this life without you!"

He again swept her into his arms and kissed her with all of the passion he was feeling. However, this time she pushed against his chest and broke the kiss before backing away quickly.

"This is wrong. You have pledge yourself to another and yet make love to me. It is vile that Miss Bingley would harm such an innocent; however, I would not be the cause of Georgiana's ruination. Now, you have not only brought suffering on yourself but have broken my heart too. Please, leave me be."

She turned to leave but soon felt him behind her. He stilled her movements by gently placing his hands on her arms as he leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"You may run away now but I will come for you. Now that I know that you love me in return, I will stop at nothing to bring this to rights. Make no mistake, you will be my wife and I will spend the rest of my life making amends for the pain I have caused. I love you, do not forget it."

She did not respond and only nodded once before walking away as her tears continued to fall.

**A/N: Well, what do you think? Ready for Miss Bingley to get what's coming to her? **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

When Darcy returned to Rosings after his conversation with Elizabeth, he immediately requested that Col. Fitzwilliam and Anne join him in the library. Thankfully, given the hour, it would be possible to have this discussion without the pleasure of his aunt Catherine's company. She was quite adamant that every great lady required a nap at mid-day and so would be safely sequestered in her bedchamber.

When Col. Fitzwilliam and Anne arrived, Darcy was pacing the length of the room with a look of pure determination upon his face.

"O-ho! Have the alarms been sounded? Will you be joining my regiment in battle Darce?" Col. Fitzwilliam said with a laugh.

Darcy turned a scowl towards his cousin and replied,

"Yes, I believe we are at war with a very dangerous enemy!"

Anne calmly seated herself and then stated,

"Come, cousin, have a seat and let us hear what has ruffled the great paragon that is Darcy. You look positively feral pacing about in such a manner."

Once they were all seated, Darcy only hesitated slightly before beginning.

"I have asked you here in order to solicit your help. I find that I am in a dreadful situation and require additional assistance."

He paused to collect his thoughts and then turned to face his cousins once again. Both Anne as well as the Colonel wore looks of astonishment as Darcy relayed the manipulative actions of Miss Bingley. When he had stated how his marked attentions to her over the season were all part of her plan and that she expected an upcoming formal announcement of their engagement, Colonel Fitzwilliam could hold his tongue no longer.

"I cannot believe that such a vile thing, for a woman she will never be, could do such a thing. Over my bloody dead body will she be part of our family. I'd rather ship you to the colonies than see you endure such a fate Darce!"

"Calm down, Richard. Of course Darcy will not marry the fool. Have you forgotten that he has asked for our help?"

Anne turned a shrewd eye to Darcy.

"I suspect, cousin, that there is more to this tale? Although I would certainly do all within my power to protect Georgiana as well as yourself from such a one as Miss Bingley, I can only wonder that you are only now trying to extricate yourself from this engagement when you played along with this farce for all of the season."

Before Darcy could form a coherent response, Anne continued. She nonchalantly smoothed her skirt while saying,

"Miss Elizabeth is quite a beauty. I believe you have had the pleasure of making her acquaintance some months ago."

Darcy sighed.

"You are observant as ever, Anne. In truth, I am completely in love with Miss Elizabeth and fully intend on her being the next Mistress of Pemberly."

Anne smiled knowingly while Colonel Fitzwilliam was again dumbfounded.

"I say, this only gets better and better. The boys in the barracks could not create a more intriguing tale. Well, I am at your service in any way necessary. What's the plan?"

The Colonel rubbed his hands together and had a gleam in his eye that only a military man would at such a time. Darcy continued,

"My first priority is shielding Georgiana from any gossip so we must come up with a way to discredit Miss Bingley without allowing her to spread her venom."

"I believe that I may start the campaign against Miss Bingley with my mother's help."

Anne's statement caused both gentlemen to stare back at her stupidly.

"Don't look so astonished. Mother need not know about Georgiana's indiscretion. I know just the way to spur mother into action." She smiled as she said the last.

"Yes, well, that is good as long as we are able to keep her unconnected to Darcy. What else do you propose Darce?"

"I believe that I have no other choice than to involve Charles and inform him of his sister's devious blackmail. The problem is that I know not if he will be strong enough to curb her tongue."

The trio was silent as they considered the problem. Finally, Colonel Fitzwilliam stood and with an air of finality announced, "I know what must be done."

"I shall be the sacrificial lamb. I can tempt her away with my charm and, of course, the fact that I am an Earl's son will not hurt." He said with a smirk.

"Shall we exchange one beloved family member for another in the lion's den?" Anne exclaimed.

"Fear not, Annie. I'd rather eat this cushion than shackle myself to such a woman. I'll simply string her along until Darce is safely engaged to another and allow her to see my true colors. At that point in time, it would be futile for her to spread tales about Georgiana. Also, if your venture is fruitful, than the Ton will already be poisoned against her."

"I would not wish to bring shame to your name as well, Richard. What if she plays the part of the jilted lover when you break things off? Your father would certainly be displeased." Darcy added.

"What good is a second son but to bring some color to the family? Better I than Georgiana's name being bandied about. Also, I am certainly not known for my expert ways with the fairer sex. It would be forgiven as soon as I find another heiress to marry."

"Well, it is not a perfect plan but it is the best that we can do given the circumstances. I cannot call her lineage into question without harming Bingley and it would be dishonorable to ruin my best friend to protect the actions of my sister."

Anne and the Colonel exchanged a sympathetic glance. It was clear that their cousin bore the weight of the world on his young shoulders.

"Well, enough of this dreary talk. On to pleasanter topics…when will I be able to meet the illustrious Miss Elizabeth Bennet? I feel as though all have met this enchanting creature but me."

A genuine smile crossed Darcy's face as he responded.

"Perhaps I can make the introduction tomorrow after breakfast if you are inclined to ride out with me."

The morning dawned bright and clear. When the inhabitants of Rosings gathered to break their fast, it was obvious that both Darcy and Fitzwilliam were looking forward to their ride, which would lead them to the parsonage.

"I believe we will ride out this morning to make our customary review of the grounds, Aunt." Darcy said once morning pleasantries were exchanged.

"Yes, yes, that is a sound plan, nephew. It appears to be a fine day for a ride."

Darcy and the Colonel were somewhat surprised by their aunt's cheery response until she added in a disgruntled voice,

"And don't let that farmer, Mr. Mason, complain about the state of his homestead again. That thatched roof is perfectly sound."

She went on to grumble to herself of the village folk looking above their station and wishing for such grand accommodations such that Rosings offered for mere commoners.

Her nephews quickly hid their smiles and then began discussing the route that they would follow for the review. Seeing that her cousins were occupied, Anne seized this opportunity to put her plan into action.

"Mother," she said in a soft voice.

"Yes, my dear."

"I do not wish to displease you; however, I have received word from another source in Town that that wretched woman, Miss Bingley, has been spouting that she has secured my cousin Darcy's hand."

Lady Catherine's face took on an awful shade of red as she responded, "Perhaps I need to remind Darcy of his duty to this family given the volume of gossip this young upstart is generating."

Anne quickly intervened, "No, no, that won't be necessary. Only yesterday, Darcy confirmed to Richard and I that there is no engagement between Miss Bingley and he."

"What could she mean to accomplish by spreading such falsehoods? She appears to be a notorious social-climber." Lady Catherine exclaimed.

Anne quietly sipped her tea before continuing in a very innocent voice.

"I cannot be sure, but I believe there had even been rumor of certain indiscretions between Miss Bingley and men of the lower classes. However, I could be mistaken of course."

"Of course, dear." Lady Catherine responded before finishing the toast on her plate. Then she continued.

"So, she is a wanton as well. I do not wish for you to be exposed to such a woman. Perhaps I should inform a few of my friends in Town. I would not wish for them to unknowingly expose the young ladies of their family to her."

Anne smiled in satisfaction as her cousins rose and prepared to leave for their ride.

Lady Catherine reached over and patted Anne's hand and quietly said, "Do not allow all of this gossip to affect you, my dear. Darcy knows his duty and will not fail to make his intentions known to you soon."

"Mother, I have been considering our uncommon engagement and believe that I would prefer to wed a gentleman from a titled family."

Lady Catherine was surprised.

"Whatever can you mean Anne? Darcy's lineage is almost as old as the Fitzwilliam's and there are few whose wealth exceeds that of Pemberly."

"Yes, the Darcy's are **almost** as old as the Fitzwilliam's."

Anne took another sip of tea and then said, "Perhaps a son of an Earl would do."

Lady Catherine followed Anne's eyes towards her nephew, Colonel Fitzwilliam. She allowed a small smile to grace her own face and simply replied, "Perhaps."

**A/N: I profusely apologize for my lack of updates. RL intervenes. I promise to get back on schedule. I expect this story will be a total of 22 chapters plus an epi if people want it. Next up…Elizabeth's thoughts and the happenings at Longbourn. Thanks for reading! R & R**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Darcy was hopeful that he would find Elizabeth on one of her walks this morning so that he could introduce his cousin. Normally, he would not be pleased to share her company if he could avoid it; however, given their emotional meeting yesterday, he thought that having another person present would lessen the tension when next they met.

Not surprisingly, they found her not far from the parsonage. She stopped and turned in their direction once she heard their horses. When her eyes met Darcy, she immediately flushed and looked down again. It pained him that there was any awkwardness between them and he sought to alleviate it.

"Good day, Miss Elizabeth."

"Good day, Mr. Darcy."

The men dismounted and approached her.

"With your permission, I wish to introduce you to my cousin."

She finally raised her head and smiled at the unknown gentleman with Mr. Darcy. With a quick nod of her head, Darcy continued.

"Miss Bennet, this is my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam of Matlock. Richard, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn."

Richard bowed over her hand and said with a charming smile, "It is truly a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Madam."

Elizabeth blushed at the compliment and bobbed a curtsey. She was feeling very self-conscience of her appearance this morning since little sleep was to be had following her meeting with Mr. Darcy yesterday. She was determined to appear as unaffected as possible since she had little hope that this situation could be resolved with her heart intact.

"Have you had an enjoyable ride this morning?" Elizabeth asked the gentlemen.

"Yes, thank you. It was most invigorating." Darcy replied with his eyes trained upon her face.

"You might be surprised to hear that my cousin Darcy has quite the competitive side. He is constantly trying to surpass my excellent riding skills but has yet to beat me."

The Colonel leaned towards Elizabeth and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Although I do allow him a head start now and again…I would hate to see the poor boy discouraged."

They all three laughed at this and began to make their way back to the parsonage.

Mrs. Collins met them at the entrance and asked the gentlemen to stay for tea. The cousins accepted with enthusiasm and the quartet settled in the parlor.

"I apologize for Mr. Collin's absence. He is currently assisting one of his parishioners who has need of his counsel. I am sure that he will be most displeased at having missed the opportunity to make your acquaintance Colonel Fitzwilliam."

Darcy attempted to hide his smirk, knowing that Mr. Collins would certainly abandon any lowly parishioner in order to further ingratiate himself with another of Lady Catherine's family. He glanced at Elizabeth to find that she was having a bit more trouble hiding her amusement. She must also be thinking the same of her brother-in-law.

Conversation among the small group flowed freely as Elizabeth relaxed and focused on enjoying the many tales that the Colonel had to tell of not only his adventures at war but also of the many childhood adventures shared with Darcy. Mary went so far as to add a few of Elizabeth's more notable scrapes from her younger years. They were all laughing at the thought of Elizabeth stubbornly sleeping in the barn to protect her new kittens since they were not allowed in the house when a horse was heard approaching followed by the entrance of an express post for Elizabeth.

Both sisters looked alarmed when they realized that the missive came from Longbourn.

"Pardon me, gentleman, but I must open it at once to ensure that my family is well." Elizabeth said absently even as she was opening the letter.

In an unspoken agreement, the gentlemen were just about to make their excuses to leave the ladies to their news, when Elizabeth gasped and then burst into tears.

Mary was immediately at her side. Elizabeth wordlessly thrust the letter into her sister's hand before making her way towards the door. Darcy moved towards her as sobs began to rock her body. He reached out to take hold of her hand.

"Please, tell me what has happened? What can I do to relieve your suffering?"

She glanced up at him with tears streaming down her face. The look in his eye was so urgent and loving that she could not help another sob from escaping.

"There is nothing that you can do, sir. We are ruined. Please, release my hand, I must go to my room at once to pack."

She pulled her hand away and ran up the stairs without looking back.

Darcy turned to Mrs. Collins, who had finished reading her letter and had a severe look upon her face. With all of the strength she could gather, she turned towards her guests.

"I apologize gentlemen but I must attend to my sister. Thank you for your call this morning."

Colonel Fitzwilliam saw that they were being dismissed and made to move to the door. However, Darcy could not bear to leave knowing that some disaster has befallen his beloved. Disregarding her words, he stepped closer to Mrs. Collins.

"Mrs. Collins, is there nothing that I can do to help? I hope that no illness has fallen upon your family at Longbourn?"

Mary stared at the man before her. She was always the strictest of her sisters regarding propriety and knew that the terrible news she had just received should not be discussed outside of the family. Yet, the look upon Mr. Darcy's face told her that he could be trusted and, even more, that he truly did care for her sister. Suddenly, Mary made the uncharacteristic decision to break propriety and trust these men.

"No, sir, there is no illness at Longbourn. However, we have just been informed that our youngest sister Lydia has made a terrible mistake that will reflect upon our whole family. My father has requested that Elizabeth return home at once."

Darcy interrupted and said, "Perhaps there is some way that I may assist in rectifying this situation with Miss Lydia. Elizabeth had mentioned that she was away at Brighton with a friend."

Darcy's use of Elizabeth's name was not lost upon Mary or the Colonel. Mary decided to inform him of exactly how dire the situation was with her family.

"Mr. Darcy, I do appreciate your concern and offer for help; however, there is little to be done. My sister, Lydia, has decided to throw all propriety to the wind and has left her friends to elope with a militia officer."

At the mention of the militia, Darcy's heart almost stopped and his mouth was set in a grim line. He asked who it was that Miss Lydia abandoned her family for but knew the answer even before Mary replied.

"Mr. Wickham"

**A/N: I know it's short but I needed to set this up prior to going back to Longbourn. The next chapter will be up this weekend so you don't have long to wait. Thanks for all of the awesome reviews and sticking with the story! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Elizabeth was jolted awake as the carriage traversed the gravely road. Her head was aching from the events of the day.

Her worry for her young but foolish sister Lydia was foremost in her thoughts. When she and Mary had packed their small traveling bags, in the brief time afforded them to prepare for the journey to Hertfordshire, they had discussed what could possibly await them at home. Perhaps if it was Jane who was by her side when news of this catastrophe arrived, then Elizabeth might be tempted to join her optimistic elder sister in thinking that all would be well. However, Mary was much more pragmatic and chose to dwell on how the family would need to behave and what actions should be taken to reduce as much gossip as possible.

Elizabeth turned her head to look out the window at the darkening sky. She was almost immediately met by the penetrating stare of Mr. Darcy. She quickly turned back into the carriage even as he bowed his head in acknowledgement. Her head began to throb again as she contemplated how humiliated she was to have her sister's actions exposed to someone of Mr. Darcy's status.

He had appeared so hopeful that morning. She was truly enjoying herself as she conversed easily with Mr. Darcy and his cousin. He had been so confident when he spoke of his love for her and his determination to set things right the previous day. Yet, it would all be for naught once the truth of Lydia's situation was found out. After she fled the parlor that morning after receiving the express from Longbourn, she did not believe that she would ever lay eyes on Mr. Darcy again.

Her shock was palpable when Mary finally joined her to say that they must quickly gather their belongings for the trip to Longbourn for Mr. Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam would be returning shortly with their carriage to convey them home. When Elizabeth had asked if Mary shared the gravity of the situation, all her sister said in response was, "The gentlemen are aware."

When the carriage arrived, Elizabeth had tried to dissuade the gentlemen from joining them home. She would not have their presence known to the neighborhood for fear that the scandal might touch them. Col. Fitzwilliam glanced to his cousin and then excused himself to speak with the driver.

Mr. Darcy had taken a step closer to Elizabeth and in a soft voice said, "As I have already told you Elizabeth, I will not let you run from me. I plan to do all within my power to assist your family in this situation."

"But, sir, it will certainly bring shame…"

Before she could continue, he cut her off and said, "If not for chance, it would be my own sister in Miss Lydia's place. I will not allow Wickham to get away with this. Please, rest during our journey. Col. Fitzwilliam and I are prepared to handle Wickham."

She could only nod her head before joining Mary in the carriage.

It seemed like ages that they had been traveling; yet, it was still the same day. They were nearing Meryton now as dusk began to set in over the countryside.

When the carriage arrived at Longbourn, Mr. Darcy dismounted and was waiting to hand the ladies down. He offered Miss Elizabeth his arm to walk to the house but she stopped him by placing her hand upon his.

"Please, I thank you for the transport in our time of need but I beg you to go now."

Just as he was about to reply, Jane and Mr. Bingley walked out of the house to greet the party. Jane immediately rushed to Elizabeth and enveloped her in a hug even as she reached out to grasped Mary's hand. Mr. Bingley's grim countenance was especially disconcerting to see. He moved around the weeping women to shake hands with Darcy and the Colonel.

"I know not how you came to bring Miss Elizabeth and Mrs. Collins to Longbourn but I greatly appreciate it if only for Jane's sake."

The three sisters straightened up at that time and Jane spoke to the newly arrived party.

"Come, you must be exhausted from your journey. Please join us for tea?"

"We would not wish to intrude on your family party." Darcy replied while keeping his eyes locked on Elizabeth.

"I am certain that my father will wish to thank you for bringing my sisters home safely and so soon after he requested their presence." Jane pressed them.

Mr. Bingley added, "I, myself, was only staying for tea before returning to Netherfield. You can join me when I return for I will not hear of you staying anywhere else."

Both Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam nodded their agreement and the somber party entered the house. They immediately heard Mrs. Bennet's shrill voice coming from her chambers upstairs. Jane informed them that she had remained in her room since the news of Lydia arrived and that Kitty was sitting with her now.

"I believe that my sister, Mary, and I should go and greet our mother and sister at once. Please excuse us, we will join you again momentarily." Elizabeth said as she mounted the stairs with Mary in tow.

Jane led the gentlemen to the parlor and asked the maid to send for her father and to bring the tea. The maid had been gone but a minute when Mr. Bennet entered the room. Darcy saw at once that the news of his youngest daughter's elopement had aged him. He acknowledged Col. Fitzwilliam with the briefest of nods as the introductions were made before turning his attention to Mr. Darcy.

"I find that I must thank you sir for returning my daughters home safely. Would that all of my daughters were home safe at this time." He paused after whispering the last almost to himself. There was an awkward silence until Mr. Bennet again spoke.

"Perhaps you could inform me of how you came to assist my daughters in such a timely manner?"

His tone was not harsh but there was certainly a hint of suspicion. Darcy cleared his throat before responding.

"My aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, his Mr. Collin's patroness, as you might have known."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Mr. Bennet's face before Darcy continued.

"My cousin and I join her each year to celebrate Easter. We were visiting with Mrs. Collins and Miss Elizabeth when the express arrived this morning. I was determined to assist in any way that I can."

"Then you are aware of our misfortunes?" Mr. Bennet asked in a defeated tone.

"Yes, we are aware and would like to offer our help."

Mr. Bennet's eyes flashed at this and tersely stated, "Your friend, Mr. Bingley, has proclaimed that he will stand with us and not abandon my Jane due to these circumstances but I see no reason for someone so wholly unconnected to our family, such as yourselves, to become caught up in this scandal."

"Mr. Bennet, my cousin and I wish to assist based on our previous knowledge of Wickham's deplorable behavior. Both Col. Fitzwilliam and I are aware of some of Mr. Wickham's past associates who may be able to lead us to your missing daughter."

Mr. Bennet seemed to crumble again as he replied, "I know not to what end you offer your help but I will accept it. Lord knows we are in need of friends right now."

Col. Fitzwilliam finally joined the conversation now that it appeared his help would be accepted.

"What has been done to recover your daughter sir?"

"I received an express from Col. Forster late last night stating that my daughter had gone missing from his home. His wife was certain that Lydia had finally eloped with the officer that she had been enamored with for some months. Apparently my reckless daughter had been greatly enjoying her time and told Mrs. Forster that she would certainly not return to Longbourn with the name of Bennet. Col. Forster quickly found that Mr. Wickham was missing from the ranks. Upon further investigation, he found that Mr. Wickham owed many of his fellow officers money and that a carriage was seen leaving Brighton with a young couple headed for London."

Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam exchanged a glance at this news. Mr. Bennet stated, "I shall leave for London at first light to join my brother, Mr. Gardiner, in the search but in a town that size I have little hope retrieving my youngest."

"With your agreement sir, I'd like to join you to London. I know specifically of a woman who Wickham is acquainted with who runs a boarding house. I believe that would be the best place to begin."

"Yes, and I will contact Mr. Forster and obtain some more information regarding Wickham's debts. The other officers may be more willing to provide a true account of Wickham's actions with another officer who is not their Colonel."

Elizabeth and Mary joined the gentlemen and Jane at that time. Elizabeth looked drawn and tired. Darcy was anxious to speak with her again but knew it would be impossible with all of her family surrounding them. The gentlemen continued to discuss their plan to find the young couple.

Suddenly, there was a great commotion in the lane outside. Elizabeth glanced out the window to see a carriage waiting and just caught a glimpse of the woman within the carriage.

"It cannot be!" She exclaimed as she raced out of the room to the door.

The rest of the party rose and followed her out and arrived outside just in time to see Lydia emerge from the carriage with a great laugh as Elizabeth grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. Jane and Mary quickly followed and surrounded their youngest sister to ensure that she was well.

As Mr. Bennet approached to gather his youngest daughter in a gentle hug, Elizabeth began asking how she came to arrive home.

"I have come with the greatest news. You will not guess! I am to be married!" Lydia announced followed by a loud snort and giggle.

Elizabeth shook her head as if in shock,

"Then, it is true? You left the Forster's to elope with an officer?"

"Yes, would not it be a romantic tale for our children?" Lydia responded dreamily.

It was at that time that the rest of the party from within the carriage made their presence known. There were two officers as well as another young lady. When Elizabeth saw the small group, she gasped.

"Mr. Wickham! How could you sir?"

A confused expression barely registered upon his face before a fist crashed into his jaw with enough force to knock him to the ground.

"Mr. Darcy! What are you doing?" screamed Lydia.

Darcy saw nothing but red as soon as his eyes landed upon Wickham. He was towering over his old friend with a murderous expression. The other officer who traveled with Lydia quickly rushed to help Mr. Wickham from the ground and placed himself between Mr. Darcy and his confused friend.

"I believe that there has been a grave misunderstanding. Please, sir, allow me to explain the situation." Said the young officer.

"But, Lydia, you…you said that you eloped with Mr. Wickham?"

"Ha! No, I did not say any such thing, Lizzy."

Lydia walked over to take the arm of the unknown officer and gazed up at him adoringly.

"I am to marry Captain Denny, of course!"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

There was a great silence as Lydia's announcement hung in the air.

Although Darcy was still seething, he realized the rashness of his actions and offered his hand towards Wickham. To his surprise, Wickham accepted his hand and, before Darcy could offer an apology, he quickly muttered,

"Think nothing of it. I am certain I was due a good throttle for one reason or another."

Darcy only nodded and then turned back to Captain Denny.

That young man drew himself up and stepped toward Mr. Bennet.

"Mr. Bennet, we met once while the militia was encamped at Meryton. I realize the irregular circumstances surrounding our arrival have caused you alarm but I would like to offer an explanation if you would allow it sir."

Mr. Bennet's stony countenance only allowed the briefest of nods before addressing the group.

"Let us all return to the house. I would rather that this conversation not take place upon a public lane."

Once they entered the house, Mr. Bennet requested that the gentleman join him in his study so the ladies went to the parlor to await the outcome.

No sooner did the study door close, than Mr. Bennet addressed the men gathered therein.

"I am very anxious to know how you came to arrive at my doorstep with my missing daughter, Captain Denny. Given the delicacy of the situation, I would not normally request that others join us for this interview. However, since news of a scandalous elopement has already reached my home, I find that I would rather the truth be known to all who are privy to the situation thus far. The truth could not be worse than a soldier whisking my young, impressionable daughter away from her friends and family."

Captain Denny felt the effects of this last statement immediately and was attempting to gain control of his speech in order to address these charges. He finally felt able to begin and cleared his throat.

"Sir, if I may, I would like to tell you all that has transpired to bring us where we are this evening. I will answer any questions you may have within my ability."

An angry Mr. Bennet tersely responded, "Perhaps you should begin with how you came to be engaged to my daughter without my prior knowledge or consent…sir."

"Of course. I would like you to know that it was never my intention to cause any harm to Miss Lydia's reputation in any way. We met while I was stationed in Meryton and then renewed our acquaintance when we met again in Brighton. Miss Lydia attended all of the balls and parties along with Mrs. Forster. I was at once captivated by her love of life. Over time, we became friends and I can say without a doubt that I am in love with your daughter and wish nothing more than to make her my wife."

"Well, that is a relief. I know Lydia to be a silly child and questioned the veracity of her statement in the lane. I would like to know why, if you are truly consumed by this love for my daughter, that you chose this disgraceful manner rather than requesting her hand?"

Captain Denny's face fell a little as he began to answer.

"As I stated before, Mr. Bennet, I would never choose to do anything that might bring shame upon the woman that I love. I knew that I wanted to petition for her hand in person, so I requested leave from the militia and it was granted. My plan was to travel home to speak with my father before continuing on to Longbourn. You see, in addition to my commission, I am also due to inherit a small estate from my father's brother. I wanted to obtain the documents from my father to show you that I am capable of providing for Miss Lydia upon marriage."

Mr. Bennet merely nodded so Captain Denny continued.

"I informed Miss Lydia of my intentions and told her that I would return to Brighton within a fortnight, hopeful that it would be with your blessing. The morning that I left, I came upon Miss Lydia quite a distance from the village. She was carrying a small valise and informed me of her intention of joining me."

Mr. Bennet slammed his fist upon his desk and with a red face shouted, "Are you telling me, sir, that my youngest daughter forced you to compromise her reputation?"

"Please, please Mr. Bennet, do not be angry with your daughter. As you said tonight, she is young and impressionable. It seems that she has romanticized the idea of elopement and thought that there would be no harm since my intention was to marry her all along. Of course, I disagreed with her knowing how society would view an elopement regardless of good intentions. Unfortunately, it was too late for me to return her to her friends without solidifying the ruination of her reputation. I thought up the best plan that I could and acted on it.

I decided to continue to my home with Miss Lydia since it was only a half-day's journey and then enlist the help of my sister. She could claim to have joined Lydia during the entire journey to quell any speculation that something untoward had taken place. Once we were settled in my parent's carriage, we immediately made our way to Longbourn. Given the circumstances, I did not know how to explain in an express and thought to provide my explanation in person once we arrived. I apologize again for any pain that this has caused to your family."

Mr. Bennet could only rub his hands over his face while muttering, "foolish, foolish child."

Col. Fitzwilliam took this lull in the story to pose a question.

"And how does Mr. Wickham fit into this tale?"

Captain Denny smiled while replying, "Mr. Wickham has been a good friend to me. He was joining me on the beginning of my journey home before he planned to continue on to London. Once Miss Lydia joined us, he said that he would stand by me and also attest that my sister had been present during the journey. I am blessed to have such a loyal friend who is willing to assist in such a way."

Col. Fitzwilliam could not help the snort from escaping as he stated, "Yes, I don't believe you could have found another so well-versed at deception."

Wickham did not respond while Captain Denny seemed affronted by such a statement. Before he could respond to such rudeness, Mr. Bennet spoke again.

"I feel that it is best to continue with your plan then Captain Denny. If your party is amenable to staying with us at Longbourn, then we can invite over a few of my wife's friends from Meryton to tell of Lydia's grand traveling adventure with your sister. I will also send an express this night to Col. Forster explaining that all is well and provide the same story that we shall circulate here. With God's favor, we shall keep Lydia's reputation in tact. Consider yourself engaged. Now, I would ask that all who are in this room would keep this knowledge in confidence."

Each of the men gave a solemn nod.

"Fine, fine, now, please leave me in peace and join the ladies. I find that I require a bit more meditation on the events that have been related to me this night."

The men stood to leave the gentleman to his thoughts. Darcy was on Wickham's heels in the hallway and before he could enter the parlor, he leaned forward and said, "I see you have failed yet another profession. Heading to London? Col. Forster might be interested to know of your current whereabouts."

"Do what you must, Darcy. I resigned my commission before leaving camp. Col. Forster was unavailable so I left the documents with his page."

Darcy was again surprised by Wickham's ability to sound sincere but could not help but add, "Even if that is true, I will not pretend that your presence here is acceptable. I will only say this once…Stay away from the Bennet daughters."

The forcefulness in his voice caught Wickham's attention.

"I see that it is as I suspected. Miss Elizabeth has touched your heart. Fear not, I have no reason to interfere. You of all people know that I need to marry money."

At this reminder of Georgiana, Darcy actually growled.

"Calm down, I am only here to support my friend as long as he has need of me. Once this business has passed, I will be on my way to Town and out of your life."

"Pray that it would be so." Darcy ground out between clenched teeth.

Wickham only paused a moment more at that entrance to the parlor before turning back. He did not make eye contact with Darcy but looked down while saying.

"I am sorry for the past, she did not deserve my treachery."

With that, he proceeded into the parlor where the party was already loud and animated thanks to Lydia's return. Darcy remained in the hallway attempting to quell the desire to repeat the pleasant experience that had taken place upon Wickham's arrival.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The occupants of Longbourn and Netherfield were constantly in company during the days following Lydia's arrival. Mrs. Bennet was ecstatic to find that her youngest daughter was engaged to an upstanding military man who happened to be in line to inherit a small estate. The worries of her daughter's silly conduct was soon forgotten as the matron spread the news far and wide that her eldest and youngest would be wed on the same day. The ladies who received this news in the parlors surrounding Meryton wore expressions of either happiness or envy depending on the marital status of their own daughters.

Elizabeth was very pleased that both of her sisters would be wed to such amiable gentlemen. She had been pleasantly surprised by Captain Denny's manners and respect towards her family. Her only concern was his trust and friendship towards Mr. Wickham; however, she was not at liberty to divulge the information that she held against that gentleman. Thankfully, Mr. Wickham had been polite while in company with the family and somewhat aloof or absent when Mr. Darcy or Col. Fitzwilliam joined the party.

_Mr. Darcy_. Elizabeth could not deny that her feelings towards that gentleman grew daily. They had not had the opportunity for any private communication since their arrival; however, his every action supported his continued regard for her. Even while surrounded by her family and friends in the parlor, he would see to her comfort by offering her a seat closer to the fire or moving a lamp so that she was able to better see her needlework. These little gestures seemed to have gone unnoticed by the party in general given the constant wedding planning taking place but Elizabeth appreciated it nevertheless.

She wanted nothing more than to openly reciprocate his feelings; however, she could do nothing until she was certain that his unspoken engagement to Miss Bingley had been broken. Her constant worry of the entire situation was taking its toll upon her. She wished to speak with him about it but did not know how to accomplish this since she had so little time to herself now that her mother demanded all of their attention for wedding details.

It was almost two weeks after she had returned to Longbourn when she was finally able to escape the house alone. Her mother would accompany Jane to a dress fitting this morning and did not require her other daughters to join them. Jane had told Elizabeth the night before that Mr. Bingley would not be calling at all that day since he needed to attend to some household details before additional guests began arriving the following week.

Elizabeth walked the familiar path to the meadow contemplating what changes these guests would bring. Mr. Bingley's sisters would soon be here. Could the beautiful woman whom she had briefly met truly be as awful as Mr. Darcy had claimed? Would she ruin his young sister if he did not follow through with the marriage? Elizabeth pondered how she could be happy knowing that she put her own happiness above that of a young woman who was obviously so well-loved by Mr. Darcy. This thought caused a few tears to escape her eyes.

She had reached her destination but was unable to see the beauty surrounding her. The spring flowers speckled across the landscape held no appeal to her. _It is truly hopeless, _she thought as the tears poured down in earnest.

"What has caused these tears?" said a gentle voice.

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes and again saw such devotion that she could not help but cry harder and covered her face with her hands.

Suddenly she felt strong arms envelope her as Mr. Darcy sat beside her and pulled her to him. He did not speak again but to whisper sweet words as he placed kisses upon her hair. She knew that it was wrong but could not stop herself from leaning into his embrace and turning her face into the crook of his neck. She had never felt such love or comfort from another person.

"Will you not tell me your troubles, sweet one? Perhaps Miss Bennet's imminent departure from Longbourn has caused these tears?"

"I…I do not wish to pain you with my answer." Elizabeth quietly responded.

"Ah, then it is I." He stated.

They both were quiet then but did not disengage from their current position upon the ground, neither wanted to give up the closeness they had been craving for weeks.

"Do you doubt my feelings for you, Elizabeth? Do you not trust that I will be true to my word and break this absurd engagement to Miss Bingley?" Darcy finally asked.

"I cannot see how it is to be done without causing harm to your sister. I would never wish to bring harm to one you love."

His eyes softened as he realized that she was already protective over his sister without having met her yet.

"I see. I can only tell you again that I will not proceed with this forced engagement for a moment longer than necessary. I plan to speak with Bingley's sister as soon as she arrives next week. Col. Fitzwilliam and I have discussed it and have a plan in place to try to minimize the impact to my family. I also do not believe Miss Bingley will cause a scandal at her brother's wedding. Her main concern is her own status and it would not reflect well on her if she did. Truly, this nightmare will be over soon."

Elizabeth only nodded. He gazed down upon her and gently wiped the remaining tears from her face.

"Now, I must ask again. Do you doubt my feelings for you?" He asked quietly.

"No, I could never doubt that you love me. I see it every time you look at me. I feel it when you are near. It consumes me. How would I survive a loss of such a love now that I have felt it?"

Elizabeth had barely stopped speaking when his lips crashed down upon hers. It was not a sweet, tender kiss but a hungry, passionate response to her question. Darcy had never before felt such a strong desire to love and protect another person, not even his sister. He forced himself to break the kiss and quickly panted out, "You never need worry because you have my love for eternity. I could sooner part with my heart than give you up, Elizabeth, because that is what you are…my heart."

He gently pulled them both up and placed her hand upon his arm. 

"Now, let us continue walking and enjoying this beautiful day. In a few weeks, there shall be a wedding and," he lowered his voice as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I dearly love weddings, Elizabeth."

She could not help but smile at him but then the sound of an approaching horse caught their attention. Any enjoyment in the day was lost as the rider stopped a few paces away and a sharp voice was heard.

"What is this, then? Was a picnic planned that I was not informed of?"

Darcy's face was grim as he responded, "Hello Caroline. I see you have arrived early."

"This is the welcome that I am to receive? Perhaps the poets were incorrect when they said that absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

Caroline smirked as she said the last and then narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth before she spoke to Darcy once again, ignoring his companion.

"I apologize for interrupting your…walk…however, Louisa and I arrived and found that you were away from the house. I decided to retrieve you for I find that I have missed your company and wish to discuss the upcoming happy events that will take place while we are here in Hertfordshire."

Elizabeth could not miss her meaning. She drew in a shaky breath and then spoke to Caroline for the first time since she arrived.

"Welcome back to Hertfordshire, Miss Bingley. I beg your pardon but I must return home for I will surely be missed by this time. Good day, Miss Bingley, Mr. Darcy."

She spared a quick glance at Darcy and attempted to smile as she bobbed a curtsey and turned towards the path to Longbourn.

Caroline wasted no time in attaching herself to Darcy's arm.

"Well, I see that you have become friendly with the _locals_. It is no matter, I am here now and we must discuss the announcement of our engagement. It is sure to break the heart of that poor girl but she is of little consequence. Most of the hearts in London were broken this season of much higher stations than she." Caroline laughed at this.

Darcy merely continued walking forward taking the reigns of Caroline's horse. When he did not respond, she huffed and said,

"You might show a bit more enthusiasm, Mr. Darcy. I trust you to be circumspect in any female friendships that you might maintain after our marriage. I do not wish for you to be wholly unhappy so long as I remain Mistress of Pemberley, I care little of your other…diversions."

At this, Darcy's tenuous hold on his temper snapped and he growled,

"You would do well to remember that Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a gentleman's daughter and not speak of her in such a way! It is beneath even you!"

Miss Bingley felt the sting of such a reproof, especially since Darcy was highlighting that fact that she was not born a gentleman's daughter. Her own temper flared and she stopped them both to respond.

"I see that you are determined to be miserable. I was trying to be kind but you continue to despise me in private. That is your choice; however, do not be deceived that it will in any way impact my objectives."

She stopped to calm herself and then said in a quieter voice,

"Charles plans to have a ball to celebrate the upcoming wedding. It is the perfect venue to announce our engagement. Be sure to speak with him prior to that night to request my hand. I will now leave you in peace."

She turned to walk back to Netherfield but stopped once more to add,

"Miss Elizabeth Bennet is to be my sister through Jane. It would be perfectly scandalous for all parties if my fiancé were found in a dalliance with her. I trust you there will not be a repeat of the tete a tete I witnessed today."

Then she hurried up the path quickly and did not hear Darcy's response.

"Yes, Caroline, I will be certain to speak with Charles immediately."

**A/N: I apologize to all of the readers/reviewers for the long delay in posting. The good news is that I have finally finished it! (Yay!) There are two more chapters and they are long; however, I can add an epilogue if you want it. Hit that button and let me know your thoughts. Thanks so much for all of your reviews!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"Darcy! Please come in. It is the perfect time for me to cease this tedious work and enjoy a drink a friend."

Bingley poured a glass and handed it to Darcy before pouring himself a generous amount. He glanced at his friend's face and realized that this must be a conversation of some importance.

"I trust that you have greeted my sisters?"

"I have," was the only response the Bingley received.

"Yes, well, it seems that Caroline was intent on arriving as soon as possible. She claims that she wished to assist in the wedding preparations but I suspect that there was further inducement to be found at Netherfield."

Charles smiled slightly at Darcy and waited for his friend to address his subtle hint. He had not long to wait.

"Charles, I must discuss something with you that I fear will bring you pain."

Charles could see that his friend was uncharacteristically nervous and could not help but interrupt.

"I cannot but admit that I was expecting this conversation. Both Louisa, as well as Caroline, has hinted that it was coming over the last several months; however, I will not disguise that I am quite astonished. While I love my sister dearly, you never gave any indication that you favored her in all of our years of friendship. Until I heard the rumors this season, I would not have believed that there was an attachment. Yet, here we are."

"Charles, you have been deceived. It is true that the information that I wish to discuss is regarding your sister Caroline; however, I will most certainly NOT be requesting her hand in marriage."

Darcy then disclosed everything to Bingley, hoping that the sordid tale would not destroy their friendship. When he finished, Darcy realized that Bingley was eerily silent. He quietly refilled their glasses and waited for his response. Bingley jumped up and began pacing the floor before finally breaking his silence and exclaiming,

"What could she be thinking? What has she become?"

He stopped short in front of Darcy and then continued.

"Why did you not immediately come to me? That my own sister could contemplate harming Georgiana in such a way is despicable but her attempt to blackmail you to marry her is absolute madness!"

"I am sorry Charles. I can only admit that when she first approached me, I was resigned to my fate. I felt that I had failed Georgiana and perhaps by marrying your sister, I would be paying my penance. Many marriages are based on mutual gain and not affection. However, I have since realized that I cannot tolerate being married to a woman capable of such deviousness or live in a loveless marriage."

"Well, surely you realize that I will not give my blessing to such a union as this…although I see now that you have no intention to ask for it. I shall speak to Caroline immediately. If common decency is not enough inducement to keep her quiet, then a freeze on her allowance will certainly keep her tongue in check."

Bingley continued to look both puzzled and pained at once, so Darcy quietly excused himself to speak with his cousin. He found him lounging in the billiards room.

"Wonderful! I was hoping to have a game or two and here you appear to fulfill my wish."

"I would gladly best you again, cousin, however, I wanted to inform you that I just spoke with Bingley. I believe that Miss Bingley will be summoned to see her brother shortly so we had best prepare for the aftermath."

Col. Fitzwilliam turned serious at once.

"It is as it must be. Let us see what the result is from Bingley's interview with his dear sister. I will continue on my course to sway her interest from you to myself."

He turned to set up the table for a new game before adding with a smirk,

"I believe our sweet cousin Anne is also helping your cause in her own way."

Much to Col. Fitzwilliam's chagrin, Darcy was true to his word and won their first game shamefully quickly.

"Blast! Must you spend so much time in the country? This is what becomes of the man who prefers the company of other men during balls rather than dancing!"

"Stop carrying on as a child…I will be sorely disappointed in you if you cry to my aunt because I have bested you yet again. Might I remind you that it was your idea?" Darcy responded with a smile.

Before Col. Fitzwilliam could reply, a loud noise was heard down the hall that sounded suspiciously like breaking glass. The men emerged into the hallway just in time to see the swish of Miss Bingley's skirts as she stomped down the hall towards the stairs. They waited briefly to ensure that she would not return before venturing forth to Bingley's study. There, they found their usual jovial friend looking defeated as he slumped in his chair holding a glass of brandy. Broken glass could be found scattered on the floor and it appeared that the glass that Bingley held was the sole survivor of the assault.

Bingley glanced up but did not hold Darcy's eye as he bid them enter. Col. Fitzwilliam closed the door before letting out a low whistle.

"Hell hath no fury…" he whispered to Darcy.

Darcy gave him a disapproving glance before turning to Bingley. Without further entreaty, Bingley began speaking.

"I confronted Caroline about the blackmail. She remained quiet when I asked how she could treat our friends in such a manner. Friends who had been so good as to open up their home to us as well as include us in many elevated social engagements. She would not speak in her defense or admit any fault. I then threatened to cut off her allowance if she did not stop with this shameful plot to marry you, Darce. As you can see, that finally resulted in some reaction."

Bingley waved his hand towards the broken glass.

"I am at a loss as to how to proceed. My wedding is approaching and I will be holding a ball in a matter of days to celebrate. Do I banish my sister from my home? Would not such actions cause unwanted speculation?"

Darcy sighed before saying, "Charles, I do not wish to cause any further disruption to mare this time for you. If you wish, I will remove to Town immediately."

Bingley immediately interrupted him.

"No, absolutely not. It was my sister's actions that have caused this mess. Also, how would you stand up with me if you are in London?"

Darcy was moved by his friend's loyalty and bowed in acknowledgement.

"Well, I realize this is not my decision, but I would think that the best action would be to carry on with all inhabitants still in place. There was great speculation as to a pending match between your sister and Darcy. I believe that if either of them left before your wedding then gossip would spread like wildfire."

Bingley and Darcy had almost forgotten Col. Fitzwilliam's presence until this little speech.

"Yes, I believe you are correct Colonel. Perhaps Caroline will realize the magnitude of her actions now that I have spoken with her. Yes, I am sure that we can now proceed with the festivities and she will have the good sense to act as a proper lady ought."

Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam were both greatly doubtful of this; however, Bingley seemed so desperate to have this ugly situation resolved that they did not press the issue.

Dinner that evening was a subdued affair. Contrary to her earlier actions, Caroline was all that is affable and gracious. She did not dominate the conversation as she was normally want to do; however, she always responded in a sweet tone when addressed. Needless to say, this behavior did not calm Darcy or Col. Fitzwilliam at all. The Col. had already begun to put his own plan in place by offering Miss Bingley his arm as they departed the dining room as well as immediately taking a seat near her in the drawing room. She received his attentions with a smile but did nothing to encourage further notice.

Darcy did his best to avoid her throughout the evening but his curiosity was peaked. Mrs. Hurst also had a shrewd eye on her younger sister. Though she was unaware of the details behind Caroline's 'relationship' with Mr. Darcy, she was certainly expecting a betrothal to soon be announced. Caroline had all but confirmed it during the carriage ride to Netherfield.

After Caroline had finished her second turn on the pianoforte, she rose and spoke to Charles.

"Do forgive me brother but I believe that I will retire for the evening. I have had a trying day…due to our journey."

Charles was beyond pleased with his sister's improved disposition this evening and smiled widely before responding.

"Of course, Caroline. Pleasant dreams."

She smiled sweetly in return before bobbing a quick curtsey to the other gentlemen and leaving the room. The Hurst's quickly followed her claiming the same fatigue. Not long after they had left the room, Bingley looked to Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam with a bewildered look.

"Well, I know not where it came from, but thank the Lord for Caroline's change in disposition. I am glad to see that we can now move forward with the festivities without fear of outbursts such as I witnessed today."

Again, Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam only nodded their heads but did not agree in the slightest with their host.

The trio relaxed and continued to discuss the upcoming ball and the local inhabitants who would attend when there was some commotion heard in the entrance hall. Soon after, the butler entered announcing the arrival of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Miss de Bourgh and Miss Darcy.

Bingley welcomed his unexpected guests and ordered refreshments for the ladies as Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam greeted their family members.

"I do apologize for our unexpected arrival, Mr. Bingley; however, I found that I needed to speak with my nephews regarding an urgent matter."

Georgiana looked to her brother with apprehension and he smiled to try to ease her mind. He knew better than most that his aunt did not adhere to societies rules when it interfered with her own agenda, even if she demanded it of others.

"No need to apologize, Lady Catherine. I am pleased to welcome you to my home. I would be honored if you would accept my hospitality for the duration of your stay."

"Yes, yes, I have already instructed my footman to bring in our belongings."

Although his aunt's presumption was mortifying, Darcy could not help but smile at this. The look that passed between Col. Fitzwilliam and Anne revealed that they too were amused. Bingley only stuttered a bit before continuing.

"Good…good then. I'll just go make the arrangements with my housekeeper, if you will excuse me a moment."

He quickly bowed and departed the room.

Darcy wasted no time in approaching his aunt.

"Might I ask, aunt, what urgent matter has brought you to Hertfordshire?"

"You may, nephew. I have come to keep an eye on you."

"On me? Whatever could you mean, aunt?"

Before responding, Lady Catherine spoke to the other inhabitants of the room.

"Richard, perhaps you could entertain your cousins while I discuss this matter with Fitzwilliam?"

"Of course, aunt. I would be delighted to hear of my cousins' journey today." Col. Fitzwilliam replied with a smile and a bow. He then ushered the ladies to the other side of the room but kept an eye on his aunt and unfortunate cousin.

Lady Catherine wasted no time in returning to the discussion at hand.

"Do not be obtuse, nephew! I am well aware of what type of woman you have surrounded yourself with and I will not stand by and allow you to become entrapped by a simpering social-climber!"

Darcy was so stunned by this outburst that he could not quickly form a reply. Fortunately, such was not the case for his aunt.

"I am one of your nearest relations and when word of Mrs. Collin's sister's intended elopement reached my ears with you located only in the next estate, I knew that I must quickly arrive to bring some decorum to this county. I am also not ignorant of Mr. Bingley's own sister's behavior. Dalliances with servants? Aspirations to the Darcy name? The poor girl is deluded."

"Where have you heard such things aunt?" Darcy questioned.

"Mr. Collins, of course, informed me of the status of the Bennet girl's sudden elopement turned engagement. I am sure that her parents are relieved that the young man has some gentlemanly ways and agreed to marry the girl. Regarding Miss Bingley, the whole of London is talking about her proclivities, I assure you."

A quick glance to Anne's smirking face said more than his aunt's response.

"I realize that you have befriended Mr. Bingley and it is certainly noble of you to try to improve the lot of one so beneath your notice; however, I will not allow your name to become embroiled with a hint of scandal. I felt that my presence along with Anne and Georgiana would lend respectability to the party here. Now, I am exhausted. I will seek out the housekeeper myself to ensure that the girls and I are given the suitable rooms. Single gentlemen never know the proper way to handle houseguests. Come along Anne, Georgiana."

With that speech, Lady Catherine swept out of the room.

"Brother, I hope you are not angry with me. Aunt Catherine arrived and instructed me to pack at once to join you at Netherfield. I did not know that you were unaware that we were coming until Anne informed me during the journey."

"Of course I am not angry with you, Georgiana. I am always glad to see you."

A look of relief lit up the young girl's face.

"Well, I have not had such an eventful day since my time on the continent!" laughed Col. Fitzwilliam.

_**Meanwhile, in Miss Bingley's chambers**_

"Caroline, darling, will you not tell me what has happened? I do not understand why Mr. Darcy showed you so little deference today? Have you had a disagreement?"

Louisa Hurst may appear to have little interest in topics beyond fashion; however, she did care deeply for her siblings and was distressed over her sister's seething. Louisa had heard of Caroline's volatile actions earlier in the day, _who in the house could not have heard?_ Yet, during dinner and afterwards, Caroline was somewhat subdued yet perfectly charming. Now, her young sister was pacing the bedchamber while muttering to herself. Caroline finally turned and looked at her elder sister.

"Enough, Louisa! I do not wish to hear of Mr. Darcy's change in attitude. If he does not follow through with his former intentions to marry me then…"

"Then, what, dearest?" Louisa asked.

"Then, I will ruin him once I am married." Caroline whispered.

"What? Whatever could you mean?"

"Fear not, Louisa. I am going to give Mr. Darcy some time to reflect before speaking with him again. I do not wish to anger Charles before his wedding. However, if I leave Netherfield without Mr. Darcy proposing, then I plan to marry Sir Mason once we return to town."

Louisa gasped.

"Caroline! You cannot mean that. Sir Mason is more than twice your age with a horrible reputation! When he made those lewd comments to you, you assured me that you would sooner live in Scotland than marry such a man!"

"I care not for his reputation. Once we are married, he will live his life and I will live mine. He is wealthy and, regardless of what is known about his character, he is welcomed among London society. Let us discuss this no more, I wish to retire. You must not discuss this with Charles though, Louisa. I have already angered him today and do not wish to spoil his wedding."

Louisa was very concerned but nodded her agreement before leaving the room.

**A/N: Only one giant chapter and epilogue left (Sigh). If you want me to add anything then let me know your thoughts. Thanks again for all of the awesome feedback. I HEART you all!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

The days following the arrival of Bingley's sisters and Lady Catherine's party were filled with activity. All of Netherfield's new occupants were informed of the ball and spent time preparing for the night of celebration. Lady Catherine was certain that it was Providence who led her to arrive just in time to have a say in the preparations.

Miss Bingley was true to her word and did not approach Mr. Darcy again regarding the dissolution of their secret engagement. She had been enjoying the attentions of Col. Fitzwilliam hoping that Mr. Darcy might take notice and show a hint of jealousy. Yet, while Col. Fitzwilliam was flirting with her, Mr. Darcy was oblivious to anyone other than that homely sister of Jane's.

The day before the ball, the ladies of Longbourn were invited for tea at Netherfield. Whether this invitation originated from Miss Bingley, who was by rights the hostess, or from Lady Catherine, who took great pleasure in ordering servants to her liking, was debatable.

Miss Bingley was determined to show that she was indeed in charge of the household and, therefore, chose a seat closest to Lady Catherine and Mrs. Bennet to lead the conversation with the two domineering matrons.

"I find the weather quite refreshing this week. I hope that it holds for the ball tomorrow evening that we might take advantage of the veranda."

Lady Catherine immediate responded in a booming voice.

"Weather, you say? What nonsense to be speaking of the day before a ball. As mistress of Rosings Park, there are a great many more important details to be focused on the day before a ball than mere weather. Refreshing, indeed."

The great lady huffed while turning her attention to Mrs. Bennet.

"Have you ever heard of such foolishness, Mrs. Bennet? I am sure that you have given little thought to the weather today. I am sure that you have the good sense to instead focus upon your daughters, as I myself have today."

Mrs. Bennet was so enthralled to be included in a conversation with the great Lady Catherine that she did little other than nod her head furiously before responding.

"To be sure, my Lady. I personally chose their dresses and hairstyles to best suit their attributes."

She then turned to Miss Bingley, who had not quite recovered from Lady Catherine's rebuke, to continue.

"I do believe that you will understand once you are married yourself, Miss Bingley."

Elizabeth and Jane observed this entertaining conversation for a moment before Jane's soft heart led her to join her soon-to-be sister. Just as she left, Miss de Bourgh joined Elizabeth.

"Miss Elizabeth, I wondered if you would join me for a short walk outdoors. We will not wander far, I assure you, however, I find that this room is particularly stifling today."

Elizabeth would have been slightly offended by Anne's last comment except that she saw that her eyes were narrowed in the direction of Miss Bingley.

"Of course, Miss de Bourgh."

Once the pair had excused themselves and gathered their pelisses, they fell in step on the path through the small shrubbery.

"Your eldest sister is delightful. I have greatly enjoyed making her acquaintance during my stay here as well as your own."

Elizabeth smiled broadly before replying.

"Yes, Jane is quite the angel. It has been a blessing to have a friend and confidante so close at hand throughout the years. Perhaps I have been more of a plague to her at times than a blessing, what younger sister can resist teasing her elder sister? Yet, I do love her and will miss her terribly."

"I would have been well pleased to have had a sibling to grow with as well as share all of my mother's loving _attentions_."

Anne smirked and both young women laughed. Anne turned thoughtful once again before continuing.

"Perhaps Jane has been your main confidante; however, I can see that she is unaware of certain recent events in your own life."

Elizabeth stiffened at Anne's reference to such personal information and blushed slightly before retorting.

"I will not pretend to be ignorant of what you refer to; however, I see no reason that this is any business of yours, Miss de Bourgh."

Anne stopped and caught Elizabeth's hands in her own.

"Please, Miss Elizabeth, I meant no offense. I am often too forward for my own good…a family trait, I think. I only wished to let you know that you are not alone and if you are in need of a friend, then you have one in me. William is very dear to me and has known more heartbreak than any young man should in a lifetime. Family is important to me, as I know it is to you. Just as you would go to any lengths to protect your sisters, I would do no less for my cousins. Now, I will leave you to contemplate that and enjoy the afternoon in peace."

Anne abruptly turned and hurried back on the path towards the house. Elizabeth was quite stunned and could not understand why she had been so deserted until she realized that she was indeed not alone.

"I hope that my cousin was not tormenting you, Elizabeth."

She turned towards the gentleman with a smile on her face.

"Of course not, Mr. Darcy. Miss de Bourgh and I were having a very enlightening conversation."

"I know Anne to be quite insistent when she's attempting to gather information. Truly, did she upset? If so, I will certainly speak with her."

"No, please, I am perfectly well. In fact, she did most of the talking and informed me that she was pleased to meet me during her stay here."

"Well, who could not be pleased to be in your presence Elizabeth?"

He smirked as she blushed and then retorted,

"I would have you know that I am not normally at such a loss of words, sir. What is it that you do to me?" She teased.

Darcy could stand it no more and pulled her to him.

"On the contrary, Elizabeth," he whispered, "what is it that you have done to me?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes in anticipation of feeling his lips once again but was startled back to reality by a loud snort of laughter.

"Why Lizzy! Whatever are you doing?"

Elizabeth was mortified. She turned to see not only Lydia and Captain Denny but Miss Denny and Mr. Wickham as well.

"Oh, Lydia. I was just returning to the house. I believe it is almost time to depart for Longbourn."

She immediately turned down the path towards the house but Mr. Darcy held fast to her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. He then placed her hand upon his arm before walking back at a more leisurely pace.

Lydia could be heard several steps behind them whispering to her party with a laugh.

"Perhaps we should have sent Miss Denny and Mr. Wickham with Lizzy. I believe she is in greater need of chaperones!"

Elizabeth and Darcy reached the main hall to find that her party was readying themselves to return home. Darcy handed her into the carriage with a gentle squeeze of her hand and eyes that promised of things to come.

"Louisa, may I speak with you in the parlor? I would like your opinion on the flower arrangements that arrived for the ball tomorrow." Caroline ordered sharply.

When Louisa joined Caroline in the empty parlor, she was stunned by the look in her younger sister's eyes.

"Tomorrow during the ball, I need you to ask Mr. Darcy to go to Charles' study before supper. Do what you must, but he must come."

"What are you up to Caroline? Charles has already told you that he will cut you off if you do not leave Mr. Darcy alone. I do not believe it is a good idea to spend any time alone with Mr. Darcy now."

Louisa rose and placed her hand upon her sister's cheek.

"You must give this up, dearest." She begged softly.

Caroline softened her look before quickly replying.

"Yes, yes, I know. It is just that I need to apologize for my recent actions. I do not wish for an audience to such a conversation."

Louisa smiled, thinking that her sister was finally seeing reason.

"However, if it will make you feel better, then ask Charles to join us after Mr. Darcy goes into the study. I just need enough time to make my apologies and, hopefully, start to mend our friendship."

Caroline looked pleadingly at her sister. Louisa smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I can understand that you would wish for a certain level of privacy. Charles and I will follow shortly after to ensure that there is no impropriety. I am glad to see that you have realized the error of your ways. Now, I believe we should retire for the evening. Sleep well, Caroline, tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Thank you, Louisa, truly." Caroline smiled and thought to herself, _Yes, tomorrow will be a very busy day. _

**A/N: A thousand apologies for the delay and lack of completion. I am going to play the 'newbie' card and say that I was unhappy with the last chapter that I originally wrote and decided to bite the bullet and rewrite it. That led to breaking it into two more chapters. I hope you enjoyed this update and another will follow shortly. Thanks for sticking with me! Xoxo - Jessi**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

_**10 years later…**_

Fitzwilliam Darcy was in love. He was discussing some improvements with his steward on the west side of his estate. When their business was finally concluded, he quickly mounted his horse and took off at a gallop toward his home. He had a very important event to attend and was anxious to have time to dress.

As his valet outfitted him in full formal attire in the middle of the afternoon, Darcy's mind drifted to a pair of stunning brown eyes and beautiful, curly locks. He hoped that his darling would be pleased with the present that he would present her with today. He had sent to one of London's finest establishments for it and had it custom made for her. He smiled as he thought of her reaction to such a gift.

At last, he was dressed in all his finery and made his way to a lovely room just down the hall. A maid answered his knock and, rather than enter straightaway, he spoke in a formal voice.

"Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy to see the Princess Darcy, please."

"Daddy! You're finally here!" his exuberant daughter exclaimed as she ran to him.

He caught her up in his arms and swung her around a few times while she laughed.

"Sir, please. You are interrupting a very important tea party."

Darcy glanced to the small table in the corner of the room to find his wife smirking at him. He was also surprised to find his two sons looking very put out to be seated at such a fine princess table. He walked to his wife while still carrying his little girl as well as a rather large package with a big, red ribbon.

"Forgive me, madam, for my interruption as well as my tardiness. I wanted to be sure that I was dressed appropriately for the occasion. After all, it is not everyday that a princess turns four."

He gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead before gently setting her down. Before taking his assigned seat, he quickly patted his eldest son's back.

"I am glad to see you here, Edward."

"Father, mother forced me to attend. Must Richard and I endure this?"

"Yes, father, I want to go fishing," His youngest son, Richard, added in a pleading tone.

"Now, boys, today is your sister's birthday. If her only wish is to host a birthday tea party including the people she loves, then you should feel honored to be included in that number."

His daughter walked to her oldest brother and put her little hand upon his cheek.

"Don't you like the tea, Edward?" she asked sweetly.

The little seven year old boy's eye softened before he replied, "Yes, Janie, it is the best tea I have ever tasted."

Darcy glanced at his wife with pride at his son's words until he heard six-year-old Richard mutter, "There are no frogs at a tea party. How could it be fun?"

Soon after the tea party concluded and little Janie was taking a nap holding her new doll, Darcy and his wife decided to take a stroll in the gardens. It was a beautiful, spring day and the flowers were bursting with color. Darcy was admiring his gardener's handiwork when there was a sudden pull upon his arm causing him to stop. Before he could question his wife, she stood upon her tiptoes to kiss him and then said, "You do look dashing this afternoon, William."

"Lucky for me that you think so. Please feel free to continue in such a manner, I am quite at your disposal, Elizabeth."

She obliged him again but then they continued on their walk and began to discuss the guests who would soon arrive.

"I am greatly looking forward to Charles and Jane's arrival tomorrow. Janie will benefit from having Sarah and Frannie for company."

"Yes, I am sure the girls will be thrilled to see one another again; however, I am certain that Edward and Richard are not anticipating being outnumbered with any pleasure." Darcy said with a laugh.

Elizabeth smiled as well before approaching a sensitive subject.

"Jane received word from Louisa. The Hurst's will be joining us at Pemberly, after all this summer. They will be returning from Scotland in two weeks and will arrive here within the month."

Darcy silently nodded his head, so Elizabeth left off the topic and continued to walk with her husband. As they continued down the garden path, both of their thoughts turned towards that fateful night ten years earlier. The other Bingley sister was at the forefront of their minds.

_**10 years earlier (Night of the Netherfield Ball)**_

Netherfield was buzzing with activity, as any respectable household would be when a ball is to take place. Maids were busy making finishing touches to all of the beautiful arrangements that could be found throughout the ballroom and large dining area, while the kitchen had practically developed a life of its own as dish after dish was created in anticipation of tonight.

When the time finally arrived for the Netherfield party to begin receiving guests, Darcy was positively bursting with nervous energy. He had spoken with Georgiana earlier in the day and explained that given the attendance of a certain undesirable militiaman, she would be unable to join the party even for a short time. He was surprised to find that Georgiana was quite content to remain above stairs. She had plainly stated that, although she was determined to never be intimidated by such a one as Wickham again, she agreed with her brother that now was not the time to confront that man. Also, her appearance at court would not take place for another year, so her absence from the festivities could easily be explained.

As Elizabeth and Jane approached the receiving line, they were met with Bingley's beaming smile. As Bingley greeted his fiancé, Elizabeth was met with the unpleasant task of speaking with Miss Bingley.

"How lovely to see you again, Miss Eliza." Miss Bingley exclaimed.

Elizabeth was somewhat taken aback by such a greeting but overcame her surprise quickly to respond.

"Why, thank you, Miss Bingley. Netherfield looks stunning."

"Yes, well, I do enjoy planning such events. It is a pleasure to assist in my brother; however, I will be relieved when dear Jane is in charge of the household so that I can focus on my own."

"I see." Elizabeth replied with a tight smile.

Thankfully, the awkward pause, which followed, was ended when more guests arrived in the receiving line, demanding the attention of the Bingley's.

The Bennet family had not moved far past their hosts when Darcy approached with his cousins. After the normal exchange of pleasantries, he saw that Mrs. Bennet was intent on speaking with his cousins and then turned his attention to the object of his affections.

"Miss Elizabeth, if you are not otherwise engaged, may I have the pleasure of your hand for the first set?"

Elizabeth's cheeks blazed under the scrutiny of her family party upon this request by Mr. Darcy.

"You may, sir."

He bowed slightly and just as the onlookers were turning back to begin new conversations, Darcy cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Perhaps then, Miss Elizabeth, you would also be amenable to granting me your company for the supper set?"

A hush settled over the party once more as Elizabeth only produced a shy curtsey signifying her acceptance.

Darcy smiled brilliantly and then turned to begin a conversation with Mr. Bennet. Col. Fitzwilliam gladly joined in while trying to suppress his merriment over this blatant show of regard by his love-struck cousin.

Not long before the dancing was to begin, Col. Fitzwilliam made his way towards Miss Bingley.

"Madam, I believe that you are my designated partner for the first set this evening."

Miss Bingley raised an eyebrow and then laughed lightly.

"Truly, sir? I know not of any such arrangement." She quickly glanced over his shoulder to find Darcy preparing for the set with Miss Elizabeth. The Colonel was well aware of the sight she was beholding and decided to press on.

"Well, perhaps one of us has not perfect recall of our agreement to dance; however, I will consider it Providence that we are both free to now take advantage of that fact."

He paused slightly before adding, "I will also take inspiration from my cousin Darcy and immediately request your hand for the supper set as well. It appears the most desirable partners are quickly spoken for at these occasions."

At this, a slight scowl appeared on Miss Bingley's face but she quickly masked it and then politely responded, "I am sorry sir; however, I am…unavailable for the supper set. I would be honored though to join you for the first set."

The dancing commenced and most everyone assembled was having a wonderful evening. The town of Meryton had already been greatly anticipating the wedding of Mr. Bingley to one of their own. However, this ball allowed for an even greater morsel of gossip since Miss Lydia Bennet was in attendance with her fiancé. Few could deny that fortune was smiling upon the Bennet family. This was solidified when the great Mr. Darcy was found to be, once again, lavishing attention upon Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Yes, those Bennet's were blessed indeed.

During the break in dancing before the supper set, Mr. Darcy was speaking with Sir Lucas and counting the minutes before he could join Elizabeth again, when Mrs. Hurst approached him.

"Mr. Darcy, I wondered if I could have a word with you, sir."

"Certainly, Mrs. Hurst."

Darcy quickly made his excuses to Sir Lucas before giving his attention to Mrs. Hurst again.

"My sister has need of your presence in my brother's study, sir."

Darcy's face immediately took on a hard edge when he replied; "I fear that I cannot possibly leave the ballroom at the moment, Madam."

Louisa gave him a pleading look and said, "Please, Mr. Darcy, I know that my sister is truly remorseful for any offense she has given. I believe she only wants the opportunity to make amends."

Darcy glanced up to find that several pairs of eyes were fixed upon him. He did not wish to cause unwanted gossip by making this request appear untoward. He quickly nodded to Mrs. Hurst and then walked away.

Miss Bingley was feeling rather proud of herself. She was certain that her sister would fulfill her promise to have Mr. Darcy appear. She had only been waiting in the study for a short time but she quickly disheveled her hair and pulled at her dress to reveal a scandalous amount of her person at her bodice. What a simple task it will be to secure Darcy. There would be no possibility of escape for him when he is found with her alone in the study by her own siblings, especially in her current state. His actions in Town last season will provide the validity she needs to ensure no scandal is attached to their engagement. Why, the ton expected their marriage! He should not have forced her hand like this.

She was surprised when the click of the door broke her out of her musings. She turned to greet her soon-to-be intended but was horrified to find it was not Darcy who entered the study. Before she could react, the man approached and pulled her into his arms and began kissing her with abandon. She attempted to push him away but he only chuckled and held onto her more tightly. Against all reason, she found herself slowly lessoning her attempts stop him. Who could have thought that such base behavior was so enjoyable?

She was brought back to her senses by a high-pitched squeal and abruptly smacked her attacker's face. She turned to the door to find her sister gaping like a fish and her brother with such fury on his face that she had never before seen.

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Wickham! You will unhand my sister at once!" Bingley shouted.

Mr. Wickham merely slipped his arm around Caroline's waist and replied with a smile, "I do apologize, Mr. Bingley. We certainly never meant for you to find out about our attachment in such a way."

Caroline quickly pulled away and hissed, "There is no such attachment, sir, as you are well aware." She turned to her brother and said, "Charles, this man has attacked me! Are you not going to call him out for such behavior?"

"Enough, Caroline! What I have just witnessed was certainly no attack. You appeared to be participating willingly in this…" He broke off for lack of words to describe the scene he walked in upon.

"Charles, you cannot be serious!"

The look upon her siblings' faces reflected that she would have some difficulty explaining her actions. As she realized the gravity of the situation she found herself in, Caroline quickly formulated a new plan.

"We are family here…there is no need to do anything drastic. Mr. Wickham can remove himself from our property and…"

"Upon my word, what is this?" Lady Catherine's voice bellowed from the door. The old woman's shrewd eyes missed nothing as she took in the current inhabitants of the study. Richard and Anne were standing only slightly behind her.

Too late, Caroline remembered her dress and quickly remedied it as best as she could. Wickham, once again, stepped to her and partially blocked her view from the others.

"Dearest, I believe that we must announce our engagement at once." Wickham said endearingly.

Caroline turned towards him with pure malice in her eyes, "Marry a steward's son? I think not!"

"You most certainly shall!" Commanded Bingley.

In the silence that followed Bingley's uncharacteristic command, Lady Catherine could be heard to say with disgust, "Too low to wed, but not to bed."

Bingley turned to the gathered spectators and, as calmly as possible, spoke, "I would ask that you continue on to the dining hall. Louisa, please escort Caroline to her chambers. Mr. Wickham and I will remain to discuss some pressing business."

Caroline stood speechless, listening to her brother's instructions and watching her fate quickly taking a horrible turn. She finally remembered her earlier prey and pitifully asked her sister, "But where is Mr. Darcy?"

Lady Catherine immediately responded, "My nephew? You dare to drag his name into this sordid business? Give him not another thought. He is currently escorting a _respectable gentleman's_ daughter to dinner."

With that, she turned her back on Caroline and said, "Come along, Anne, this is no place for you. Why did you ever wish to show me the portrait in Bingley's study in the midst of a ball, my dear? This is what comes of attending soirées of the lower classes."

As realization hit Caroline, she narrowed her eyes toward Anne. Anne merely smiled and did the most unladylike of gestures…she winked at Caroline.

**Author's Note: That's it! I could beg & plead forgiveness for the late update but I'm hoping that you enjoyed the final chapter so much that there will be no mobs at my door? I have LOVED writing this story and was amazed by your reviews. What an awesome experience it has been. A big shoutout to ****lindablanche**** for your constant reviews & encouragement! **

**Now, I promised an epilogue and I will post it so keep me on alert. I can tell you that it centers more around where Caroline's life ends up than the rest of crew but if you want to know more about anyone else (perhaps Anne & Richard?) then let me know. I have a few ideas for a new story so we'll see what pops up. Thanks again and love to all! ~ Jessi**


	26. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Caroline's POV**

Has it truly been 10 years since I was condemned to this life? When I close my eyes, I can almost see the beautiful chandeliers and hear the soft music from the night that my life changed course so abruptly. I had been sure that by this point in my life I would be living the elevated life as the mistress of Pemberly. Hosting dinner parties that would be the envy of the Ton, visiting the Earl's estates, perhaps even strolling the grounds with my esteemed husband…

"Mrs. Wickham, are you quite well?"

My daydream came to a sudden halt when I heard the voice of that wretched man again.

"Yes, Dr. Dryburgh, I am as well as I always am after such a visit."

The good doctor flinched at my tone. I realize that he thinks me rude but I don't care anymore. His visits always mean the same thing.

"Yes, well, I will just be on my way then. You should have no trouble given your experience but send your boy round if you have need of me in the coming months."

He was quick to leave my presence but I barely noticed.

Another baby.

This would be my 8th child in 10 years.

Another year trapped in this miserable house in Scotland.

Now, I will be unable to visit Louisa in Town. She had finally convinced my awful brother Hurst to allow me to visit them and I will not be allowed to travel due to this latest little beast.

I know that _he_ does this on purpose. After our hasty wedding all of those years ago, he insisted that we immediately travel to Scotland where a 'suitable' home would be purchased using MY money. I am sure that this hovel is suitable for a steward's son but hardly the accommodations that I was expecting upon my marriage. Yet, worse than being banished to the outskirts of the kingdom is that I have not returned to Town in all these long years. How I long to go to a ball! Or even attend a proper tea!

Not that my husband shows a care! He is constantly going about the county with one or another of our sons to visit the many friends he has in this backwards place. He only returns long enough to leave me in this condition before traveling again. If my maid can be trusted, he is extremely familiar with some of the women at the local pubs. Dreadful man. I hate him.

"Ah, my darling! I have just heard the wondrous news that you are to gift me with another bundle of joy!"

And here is the devil himself. He just bursts into my room with that stupid grin upon his handsome face.

"Yes, husband. Another child." I respond with a sneer.

"Now, Caroline, do not be cross. There is nothing so blessed than children. They are a testament of our love for one another." He says as he takes a seat on my bed beside me.

The nerve of him. He actually appears sincere when he speaks of our love. I am about to finally speak my mind about all of these babies before he continues.

"You are so lovely when expecting that I cannot resist the temptation to grow our family. Look at me and tell me that you wish me to cease my attentions to you." He says softly while stroking my cheek.

When he is looking at me as this, it is difficult to remember my ire. He leans down to kiss me and, just as I did all those years ago in my brother's study, I succumb to his charm again and respond. Perhaps not _everything_ in my life is wretched after all.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that little glimpse into Caroline's life. Would you like one more update on where our friends Anne & the Colonel are now? Let me know.**

**Also, I have ideas for two more stories but would like to know which you would prefer first: Another regency story or a modern story?**

**I am looking for a few pre-readers as well as a beta for my next story so if you are interested, let me know in your review and I'll PM you.**

**Thanks as always for your kind words!**

**~ Jessi**


	27. Epilogue2

_**Night of the Netherfield Ball**_

Anne de Bourgh thought herself to be a generally sedate young woman. Having a childhood filled with doctors and an over-attentive mother, as she had, would cause even the most spirited child to adopt a calm demeanor. However, over the past year, Anne decided that she could no longer wait for her future…she must take action to gain what she most desired.

For most of her life, she was told that the most desirable thing was to become Mistress of Pemberley. Anne had long known that she would never be happy with her cousin Darcy by her side. Their personalities were far too similar and she felt a stir toward adventure that a quiet life at Pemberley could not provide. However, her lively, military cousin would do very nicely.

Thankfully, her mother was slowly coming to agree with Anne in regards to Richard's suitability as the next Master of Rosings Park. As Anne watched Richard flirt with that insufferable Miss Bingley, she decided that she must dispose of that dreadful woman as soon as possible.

Shortly before the supper set was to begin, Anne happened to overhear Mrs. Hurst request of Darcy to join Caroline in Bingley's study. Anne rolled her eyes as the simple-minded woman claimed that it was simply a desire to apologize that drove the request. As soon as Mrs. Hurst turned away, Anne approached Darcy and took him arm.

"Dear cousin, you are needed on the balcony, I believe. I just noticed a certain dark-haired Bennet sister stepping out for some air and I am sure she would enjoy your company." Anne said with a smile.

Darcy's brow furrowed as he responded.

"As pleasant as that sounds, I am unfortunately required in Bingley's study."

"Oh Darcy, I overheard Mrs. Hurst's request and you can certainly delay such an uncomfortable meeting until after the supper set. It would be rude towards your partner to be late for the set. Go, join your Miss Bennet and I will ask Richard to inform Miss Bingley that you will be along before supper is served."

Darcy made up his mind to follow his cousin's advice quickly since it was in accordance with his true wishes anyway.

"Thank you, Anne. I appreciate it. Please be sure that Richard informs Miss Bingley that I will be delayed."

"Don't worry, cousin. I will be sure that she is not left alone in the study for long." Anne replied with a smile.

With a quick nod of his head, Darcy made his way towards the balcony. Anne turned her attention towards the occupants of the ballroom, searching for a certain militiaman. He was quickly found amongst his friends. Luckily, his eyes met hers and he realized that she was trying to gain his attention. Although Wickham appeared suspicious, he made his way towards her. He stood looking out a window while she continued to smile towards the ballroom.

Wickham barely began to greet her when she cut him off.

"I am in no mood, sir, to exchange pleasantries with you. I acknowledge you only for personal gain which will also benefit such a one as yourself."

Wickham's full attention was on the frail young lady at this point. Anne quickly continued.

"If you wish to fulfill your dream of marrying an heiress, then I suggest you rush now to our hosts library. I will be along shortly with others to ensure that your meeting is sufficiently scandalous. One word of caution…any mention of this conversation and your life will not be worth that shiny brass button on your coat."

In a show of his true character, or lack thereof, Wickham took his leave and made a direct line towards the hallway leading to the library. Anne smiled before approaching her mother. Fortuitously, Colonel Fitzwilliam was nearby and joined them.

"Mother, I would like to show you a most impressive painting in Mr. Bingley's library." Anne sweetly said.

"Truly, Anne? What is so special about this painting to require our attention in this midst of a ball?" Lady Catherine asked.

Colonel Fitzwilliam also gave Anne a questioning look but Anne only responded to her mother.

"I believe that the painter has a particular style and is gaining the attention of the Ton recently. If you find it acceptable, perhaps we should commission him to paint our portrait next year?"

"Fine, fine…let us go and assess his work. I am sure that with my fine eye for identifying superiority in painting, I will be able to confirm if all of this excitement is warranted. Fitzwilliam, you will escort us." Lady Catherine demanded before taking her nephew's arm.

Colonel Fitzwilliam merely bowed his head and proceeded towards the library with his aunt on one arm and a smiling Anne on the other.

_**10 years later**_

Anne sipped her tea on the veranda at Rosings Park with a content smile upon her face. She was currently watching Richard chase their little Cathy across the grounds before catching her, tickling her and starting all over again. Anne thanked God each day for her husband. He brought joy and lightness to her life and, finally, after many years of trying, he gave her their daughter. Her mother's namesake was quite a force. All sweet, dimpled smiles when happy but the devil came out of those blue eyes when she didn't get what she wanted. Richard laughed that her mother would be proud that there was another Catherine running Rosings Park.

It was difficult when Lady Catherine passed away before Anne gave birth to Cathy. Anne was already in the middle of her confinement when Lady Catherine was unable to be roused in the morning. Although her mother was a demanding, difficult woman, Anne would miss her every day.

"What's this, darling? Is the shadow on your face due to the fact that your gallant husband was too far away?" Richard asked while smirking.

"Why, of course that is the reason. Whatever will I do?" Anne teased.

"Fear not, my lady. Little Cathy is off for an afternoon rest and her papa has plans for her momma." Richard whispered while taking his wife's hand and leaning down to kiss it.

"I am certainly glad that I chose you, Richard." Anne laughed.

"As am I, sweet Anne."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this final look at our friends. I am putting together my plans for my next story, which will be regency as well. Thank you again for all of the encouragement and kind words! ~ Jessi**


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